Serendipity
by Tabitha12
Summary: Cowritten with Amanda Faye. Daniel, Carolyn, Lord Charles Dashire and Sean O’Casey recall Sean O’Casey’s introduction to the Muir Clan. Takes place in the From This Day On Universe.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: The characters from 'The Ghost and Mrs. Muir' belong to 20th Century Fox and David Gerber productions. No infringement is intended, no profit is made, and the characters will be returned unharmed from whence they came. This story is for enjoyment only. All other characters, plots, story lines and development of GAMM characters belong to the authors and may not be used or changed without express written permission. Set in the **__**From this Day On Universe**__**, between **__**When The Stars Come Out **__**and **__**Ghost Riders**__**. We do not own GAMM or its denizens. Sean and Molly O'Casey are Mary's, forever on loan to Amanda. The rest of the new characters are Amanda's, borrowed from the following: Skeldale, Tristan and Siegfried are names and characters in part borrowed from the fabulous James Herriot books, All Creatures Great and Small, etc. Blackwood, from Andrew Greeley. Linden from Stephen R. Donaldson. Adam from Panzer/Davis. Many, many thanks to Susan Griffith for the always needed beta read.**_

**Serendipity**

Mary and Amanda

_**PART ONE**_

_The sun was setting, therefore the party on the beach decided to move indoors. As they walked toward the main house, Dr. Lynne noted, "Since we're in a story-telling mode, I've heard about how Clay over there brought Dash back into everyone's lives..."_

_As he helped Martha up the walk, Ed snorted under his breath. Still, without the fancy lordling, he might have never realized how much he loved Martha. Not that he'd ever admit that._

_Ignoring this, the doctor went on, "And we just heard about how Jenny arrived. I saw Molly show up and Sig too... when'd you come on the scene, Sean?"_

"_And how were you involved in that one, Little Brother?" Siegfried put in dryly._

"_Not at all," Tristan scowled. "I hadn't found my way home yet, even though I didn't know it was home, at the time."_

"_So, how did Sean come back? Was he here all along?" Thom asked. "I can't see Hampton sharing quarters with a ghost."_

"_I'd like to hear myself, love. We've been catching up too much to tell stories," Molly blushed._

"_Come on in," Daniel invited, opening the door from ten feet out. "It may not be as dramatic as Jenny's arrival, but — it's worth telling."_

"_I feel like a ten-year-old having stories told on him by adoring, albeit embarrassing parents," Sean frowned good-naturedly._

"_Oh? Well, it's time someone besides me had that experience," Tristan noted as he flicked sand off his T-shirt. Dressing for the times had never been a problem for him at least._

"_Embarrassing? Little brother—_"_ Siegfried began._

"_DON'T CALL ME THAT."_

"_I could..."_

"_We have fifty-dozen Tristan stories, I'm sure... I don't think I ever heard Sean's tale, either. He just kind of fits here," Adam frowned as he gave Martha a hand up the steps._

"_Get settled. By the time you all have seats, I'll have the Madeira and — lemonade?" Daniel asked._

_The ladies nodded, but Martha insisted on following. It was still her kitchen._

_When everyone had their drinks and seats, Daniel began. "It was a few weeks after..."_

"_After I brought YOUR family back home," Claymore preened._

"_With my help," Dash noted dryly. "Let Danny tell his story, old son. Or him and Sean..."_

**September 4, 1970**

Gull Cottage was once again bustling with life and activity now that the Muirs, Martha, and Scruffy had returned to it, and Lord Dashire was ensconced himself to work on the memoirs Carolyn had promised to pen in, in thanks for his help in bringing them home. His Lordship's presence, however, made an issue come to the fore sooner than it might have otherwise.

"Daniel," Carolyn said tentatively during a break. "I've noticed... Lord Dashire stays — tangible more of the time than you do... is... is there a reason?"

The ghost turned from the telescope that he'd been using to keep an eye on the boy's baseball practice on the beach. Pulling his ear, Captain Gregg shrugged, "Well, Dash took to his ghost-hood better than some of us. After O'Casey and I died, we did visit some of our living crew-mates... and since Dashire was our — I suppose Candy might refer to him as our third musketeer? — We kept a check on his health and so on. He lived quite a long time, actually. I believe he was in his seventies when he passed on... well, he could see us. Some people have a talent for that. So, he knew that he might well be a ghost afterwards, and he even took steps to prepare for the eventuality. Did he tell you he has had a law firm on retainer for the last fifty or sixty years?"

Carolyn shook her head.

"He has. Apparently, his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren are not thrilled about having a ghost in the family, but they don't like each other either... so they can't decide what to do with the family home, and keep trying to sell it. He keeps them in court over it."

"Daniel," she prodded. He could tell stories all day, and never answer the question.

"Right. Well, as soon as he woke up dead, so to speak, Dash decided that he'd been — well — Superman was not around then, but he did feel as if he'd found out he was a super-hero, even if he didn't know what to call it. So, he began learning how to use his powers and even went among the living as one of them at will... if his body hadn't been found before he had it all figured out, he might have been able to continue on as a person without interruption."

"You are both persons — people," Carolyn argued softly.

"Not legally. Well, I think he is, legally, but... I'm not. For one thing, I wasn't planning on kicking the blasted gas heater and so forth, so I didn't hide funds that no one could find to make it possible. Lawyers don't work for free, love. In any case, he began practicing how to appear as normal as possible immediately. Neither Sean or myself really cared about being 'normal.' All he... that's another story. Until you came, I never even considered more than being a spirit. Using my powers to keep intruders at bay was the extent of my ambition."

"Is it difficult to learn? Dash said something about needing to stay grounded?" Carolyn tried to sort things out aloud.

Daniel laughed. "He was pulling 'Clay's' leg on the grounding bit. We need to keep a trade secret or two. Difficult, well, it does take time... concentrated time with no distractions." The look in Captain Gregg's eyes made Carolyn blush. Obviously, "no distractions" was not an easy thing to achieve for him with her around.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have wanted more," she began to apologize.

Daniel cut her off with a gentle kiss. "Let me think on it, love. There might be a solution."

Accepting this, Carolyn looked up at her seaman. "I hope so. I'd like to be able to do that more often." A flush spread over her face. "Who is Sean? You've mentioned him more than once... He was your first mate, I remember from the book."

Daniel nodded. "Yes. Perhaps someday I'll have a chance to introduce you two."

XXX

Carolyn left for town shortly after, saying she had a PTA meeting, and Daniel was left alone with his thoughts. After an hour of trying to catch up his logs, and not accomplishing anything, Daniel started pacing. If he had been a character in the 'Peanuts' cartoon the children were so fond of, you could have seen the black cloud develop over the seaman's head. He was still pacing when Lord Dashire materialized in the wheelhouse.

"Danny..." Dash looked at his friend. "Had you forgotten you had an appointment this afternoon?"

Daniel ceased his pacing. "Hmm?"

"This afternoon," Dashire repeated. "You, me, Jonathan. His room. Time to put the sail on his model and pop it in the bottle."

"It's the other way-round. And it's not time yet, Dash. You're in too much of a hurry for everything."

"Beg to differ, old son. Time has come and gone."

Daniel stared at his friend. "It's..."

"Four-thirty, Daniel. Jonathan was in his room waiting for you a half-hour ago."

"You should have called me sooner," Daniel looked apologetic. "I need to..." He started to pop out.

"No harm done, old chap," Dashire held up a hand. "Jonathan said not to bother you. He figured you were busy with something important, and that it could wait. I helped him get the ship in the bottle. You can help him with the sail later tonight. The lad wasn't upset at all."

"Thanks, Dash." The Captain resumed his pacing.

"So was it important?"

The seaman stopped again. "What?"

"The reason you missed your hobby time with Jonathan."

"No... Yes..." The seaman paused.

"Ambiguous," Dash smiled. "Care to elaborate?"

"I'm not sure you can help."

Dashire looked hurt. "Can't help?" He frowned. "If I can't, it will only be because I wasn't asked."

"I'm not sure I CAN ask you," Daniel sighed.

Dash's frown became deeper. "Danny, does this have anything to do with Carolyn? Because if it does, I am telling you right now, regardless how much you love her, I will NOT let you do anything to her or..."

"No... No, Dash, it's not that." He gave his old friend a fierce look. "Do you really think I would try to make her, or Martha or the children leave and forget about me again? I couldn't. Besides..." he added, "I don't think you or Claymore..."

"Clay..."

"...Clay..." He made a face at calling his 'nephew' that. "...would let me."

"Well, I didn't THINK you would, but you do have a strange look in your eye."

"You know me too well." Daniel gave his friend a rueful glance. "I think the only one who might know me better, at least from a century's viewpoint, is Sean O'Casey."

Dash smiled again. "Sean O'Casey! Now there's a name I haven't heard you mention in a long time! How is he?"

"I'm not sure," Daniel shrugged. He walked over and peered out the porthole window overlooking the beach. "I haven't heard from him in ages. Last time we had a chance to do any catching up was in nineteen sixty. I see him about... every ten years, mortals' time."

Dash nodded. "It has been a while, then. Tell me, is he still looking for...?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes, and he told me then that he didn't plan on stopping any time soon. That was just a little more than ten years ago," he sighed. "I almost wish he would. He might be happier."

Dash's eyebrows arched. "Danny, you didn't find your love in your lifetime... Did you stop looking? Really? Honest, now."

The Captain shook his head. "I suppose not. Not in my heart. Not until Carolyn showed up." The seaman stared out the window again, dejected. "She should be home, soon."

There was silence in the room while Dash produced a pipe from his pocket and took his own sweet time filling and lighting it.

"Danny?"

Daniel turned from the window. "Yes?"

"May I venture a guess that Carolyn DOES have something to do with your mood, and your forgetfulness this afternoon?"

"You could say so," Daniel answered, but his gaze returned to the window.

"Well then, blast it, man, what is it?" Dash asked, seating himself in the chair at the Captain's desk.

Daniel sat down on the love seat. "Carolyn and I were talking earlier, and the subject of my corporeality came up."

Dash looked puzzled. "What? You have it, don't you?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes, but it's not..."

"Not what?"

"Not as well-developed as yours is, blast it."

Dash nodded again. "I see." He revolved around once in the chair, slowly. "Well, old boy, I started practicing a long time before you did. Practice makes perfect, you know."

Daniel drew out another long 'breath.' "I know. That's what I told Carolyn." He looked at his friend closely. "But, blast it, Dash. You've been practicing for a hundred years. I... I don't have that long. Not with Carolyn here... alive... if you get my point." Dash nodded again, and Daniel continued. "I only figured out about a year ago that it was even possible."

"Bit slow on the uptake, aren't you Danny-Boy?" Dashire grinned. "Tell me, I know you can make yourself solid, albeit not for long periods of time. When, exactly DID you figure it out?"

Daniel took out his own pipe, filled it and lit it before he answered. Tugging his ear, Daniel considered, then admitted, "About — I'd say it was during the second year that the family had moved in here. Perhaps before. Keeping track of mortal time is a botheration."

"Yes, but once you get used to it again, it's not so bad, except for the not sleeping part." Dash answered. "Now, then, about..."

"I suppose the first time was when I gave Carolyn that shawl I bought for Vanessa in Morocco." Daniel answered, scratching his nose. "I..."

"Vanessa!" Dash sniffed. "Danny, you HAVE stopped mooning over that little chit, haven't you? Honestly, after she left you for Callahan the way she did, I..."

"Of course I have, and will you PLEASE keep your voice down?" Daniel shot back. "Carolyn doesn't know Vanessa ran off with Callahan, and unless circumstances change, I plan to keep it that way. Vanessa is a closed subject at Gull Cottage."

"Why was it was ever an OPEN one?" Dash asked.

"Her great-great-grand-daughter visited Gull Cottage the first year Carolyn and her family lived here," Daniel admitted. "She had the... uhm… letters I wrote to my... Vanessa, that is, and was looking for the ones her ancestor had written to me. She looked just like my... Vanessa Hamilton, that is, too. I'm afraid I made something of an idiot of myself. Among other things, I asked Carolyn to give Vanessa... the current one... that shawl I bought for my Vanessa, and..."

"Pardon me, Danny, but that was an asinine thing to do."

"Don't I know it!" Daniel tugged his ear again.

"You are going to pull that ear off one of these days," Dash teased his friend, trying to lighten the mood. "I thought you said you gave the shawl to Carolyn?"

"I did... AFTER I realized that I had almost chased her away from me," Daniel admitted. "I managed to get the current Vanessa away from Gull Cottage instead, keep Carolyn from moving out, and I gave her the shawl Vanessa the current had left behind. Carolyn was gracious enough to accept it."

"And this has to do with touching, how?" Dash frowned.

"As I laid it over Carolyn's shoulders, I realized I was touching HER." The Captain gave a soft smile. "I actually had my hands resting on her shoulders, and for a moment, I could feel her hair — soft and golden beneath my fingers."

"Poetic, Danny," Dash smiled. "Did she say anything?"

Daniel shook his head. "No, but I got the distinct impression she was felt the same way about me that I felt about her, even then," Daniel answered. "But when she didn't say anything to me, I decided she wasn't quite ready to admit anything, other than being glad she was still at Gull Cottage."

"And you didn't tell her your true feelings either?" Dash answered his own question. "No, of course you didn't. If you had, your nephew..."

"Claymore isn't my nephew."

"...never would have sought me out when you sent everyone away." He paused, not defending Claymore Gregg. "Other incidences? Prior to you sending the family away and them coming back a month ago?"

"A few minor ones," the seaman said, tapping his pipe out in the ashtray he kept near the love seat. "There were a few times I could have sworn we brushed up against each other — one afternoon when we were sharing a glass of Madeira, especially, and there were the incidents with the baby and the pies..."

"Baby? Pies?" Dash looked puzzled. "What baby? Carolyn doesn't have a..."

"Of course not," Daniel retorted. "Well, he was more of a toddler, really — One of the children that was here for Jonathan's birthday party last year. The children were all playing hide and seek and the nipper was separated from his older sister. Not sure what possessed me, but when I could tell the child was wandering, and hadn't a clue as to where to find his sibling, without thinking, I offered him my hand. He took my finger and I led him to the closet where his sister was hiding. I didn't think about it at the time — it all seemed so natural, but I realized a week later, after the children and Carolyn had surprised me on what they thought was my birthday that I had touched the tyke. Naturally, I tried it again, later, but nothing happened. I decided it was a fluke — that it had to do with the baby needing help. Then I tried again at Christmas, but still nothing. How wonderful that would have been! Especially after the dream I gave them all for Christmas, and I..."

"Envied your ability to manage five dreams at once, old boy," Dash grinned. "Spectral fraternity said that had never been done before."

"I would have exchanged that for one REAL..." Daniel broke off. Some thoughts were too personal, even for best friends. In a moment, he had started speaking again. "The last time I remember being able to touch, really touch, before Carolyn left and came back, was with the pies."

Dash nodded. "Clay mentioned that... you sabotaging his idea to make Schooner Bay a tourist attraction. I would have loved to see it, myself. And the touching comes in... where?"

"There was a mechanical man made in MY image, designed to serve pies and pizzas to the tourists," Daniel growled. "One wave of my finger took care of that! Then it went crazy, and started throwing pies all over the place. I'm not sure why, exactly, but I yelled at everyone to duck, and pushed Jonathan... PUSHED him, by his shoulders... out of the way of the pies! Again, it was such a natural reaction, I didn't even realize I had done it for a day or so, and Albertson had left town."

"Hmm..." Dash was silent for a few minutes while he emptied his pipe. "Jonathan never mentioned it?"

"No, but I KNOW I pushed him out of the way."

"Hmm... it sounds like your first instinct was a touch-to-prevent-danger scenario."

"Danger?"

"Yes. As far as the baby and Jonathan go, anyway. Can't explain Carolyn and the shawl, old boy, unless it was the 'danger' you felt at the thought of her leaving you, but the other two strong occurrences were definitely a case of preventing someone from harm. A good sign."

"Sign for what?" Daniel rose and stared out the window again, looking for Carolyn and then turned back to his friend. "I can't spend the rest of my... Carolyn' life, waiting for the odd occurrence. She loves me, and I... I love her. She..."

"You don't HAVE to wait, Daniel," Dash smiled. "You have been able to touch Carolyn since then? Kiss her? Hold her hand?"

"Yes, but never long enough," Daniel sighed. "Not like a 'real' man can, and then I need to leave and recharge."

Dash nodded. "Aye, I went through that when I was learning... About seventy-odd years ago."

"So what's the answer?" Daniel asked.

"You need a crash corporealization course," Dash said flatly. "You must learn to concentrate your abilities in a whole new way. If you apply yourself, I imagine you could have the basics out of the way in two... three weeks, by human reckoning."

"And you could do that?" Daniel asked, looking much cheered. "Dash, I would be eternally grateful to you. Just let me get the model building with Jonathan out of the way, and I'll..."

Dash surveyed his friend, shaking his head. "You know, Danny, your memory is getting worse every day... I love Carolyn too, like a brother, and I understand how you feel, but you're letting your emotions for her and this family cloud your thinking."

Daniel's face turned dark. "And how, precisely, am I doing that? I will have you know my memory is excellent; for example, mortal husbands are always forgetting their anniversaries and other important dates and I know for a fact that mine with the family... the day they moved in... Is coming up in less than three weeks, on the twenty-first." He shook his head. "If only I could be corporeal for that evening, all of it... don't you see that I need you to teach me?"

"Do you remember when we were alive and I tried to teach you the basics of archery?"

Daniel nodded slowly. "I think so."

"We ended up getting into an awful row and didn't speak for a fortnight," Dash continued.

"I do remember. I never did master the art very well, either."

"Well pardon me, sir..." Dashire threw him a mock salute. "...but I don't care to be put in that situation again." He grinned. "Nowadays it would be about as smart as a husband teaching a wife to drive... or vice versa. T'would lead us straight to 'divorce court.' No, Danny. My answer is no."

"I can't say that I blame you." Daniel shrugged. "But I feel now like I am back where I started when I sent Carolyn and my family away, I..."

"Daniel Gregg, you wouldn't..."

"No, I wouldn't, but what's the answer?"

Dash stroked his chin thoughtfully, and started pacing the small room, floors, walls and all. As he hit the apex of the roof, he stopped. "Danny, how do you think Carolyn would take to the idea of you leaving Gull Cottage... for just a while?"

"Leave?" Daniel looked shocked. "I couldn't... not after sending THEM away... and getting them back again."

"Not even if it were to mean you could increase your corporeality a hundred-fold?"

"Dashire, what's on your mind?"

"Well, Danny, as much as I would like to say I learned to be solid all on my own, I did have a LITTLE help... from another ghost... a master of such things. I call him my guru, actually."

"A ghost guru?" Daniel looked skeptical.

"Yes." Dash did a neat somersault and landed right-side-up on the floor. "And if you are willing, and apply yourself, and if Fontenot, that's his name, is available, I think he could help you. Of course I do need to talk to him, but..." The spirit scratched his nose. "He does think of me as the son he never had, and DID say once he would always be there to help me any way he could."

"Two or three weeks will seem like an eternity without Carolyn and the children and Martha..." Daniel said slowly. "But if it is for our future, then... then I have to try. If I hurry, then I'd be back in time for the day!" He glanced at the clock on the wall and then out the window. "Heavens. Carolyn's home. This is marvelous news. Why don't you pop to wherever your friend Fontenot is and I'll go tell Carolyn and the children..."

"Danny, wait." Dash grabbed his arm.

"What? Should I wait and see if your friend can take me?"

"Uhm, no, that's not it."

"What then?"

"Danny, I don't think you should Carolyn what your plans are. Not yet."

"But why?"

"Because... well... because I don't think you should get their hopes up if... if things don't work out."

"You don't think I can learn?" Daniel huffed a bit.

Dash shrugged. "No, I think you can learn anything you set your mind to, or you wouldn't have gotten as far as you have, but as the saying goes, it's 'bad magic,' or something. Kind of like people nowadays announcing to everyone in a radius of ten miles they are quitting smoking... and then fail. They disappoint not only themselves, but everyone who is rooting for them. Do you see what I am getting at?"

Daniel nodded his head. "Yes, and I believe you are right. But what do I tell Carolyn? Lie to her? Not now. Too much has happened between us."

Dash walked up the attic wall. "You never were a good liar, even when you weren't in love. Hmm..." He landed on the attic floor again. "Daniel, you have left Gull Cottage for extended periods of time before, haven't you?"

"Yes..."

"Other than that monkey-puzzle business you told me about?"

"Yes."

"When?" Dash interrupted. "Carolyn KNOWS you had to leave, right?"

"Yes."

"And did you tell her you were leaving? It wasn't a secret, was it?"

"Of course not, and yes, I told her."

"Told her you had spectral duties to attend to?"

"Yes, and..."

"And what?"

The seaman looked embarrassed. "A few times I told her I was leaving for fraternity business when the reason was..."

"Was WHAT?" Dash asked, exasperated.

"When I knew I loved her so much, I didn't think I could bear to stay in Gull Cottage a moment longer without TELLING her so," Daniel muttered quickly. "I left for a few times because of that... and came back when my emotions were more... under control."

Dashire gazed at his friend, knowing what it meant for Daniel Gregg to make such a confession.

"Well, then," he said briskly. "You tell them that, then. You have business and have been called away, and will be back in three... no, two weeks. All this is providing Fontenot can take you, of course. If you have made such trips before, they will believe you. Just don't... mess with their minds, Danny. Not like last time."

"We could do that," Daniel said slowly. "That is, if you are here to look after them. I honestly don't think Carolyn or the children or even Martha will buy off on my leaving for anywhere unless you are here. If you stay, they'll know this is exactly what it is... an excursion... and that I will be coming back and you are just taking care of things while I am gone."

"Fine. We have a plan then," Dash said, stuffing his pipe and other paraphernalia back in his jacket pocket. "I'll be back shortly, Danny. You stay here while I go talk to Fontenot...

Putting up a hand, Daniel stopped his friend once more. "Dash, you WILL take care of them, won't you?"

"Like they were my own family," Dash smiled. "On second thought no... Better than that. I LIKE your family better than I do mine. No worries, Danny."

So saying, Lord Dashire vanished.

XXX

To say that the Muir family, and Martha Grant weren't pleased at Daniel's news would be putting it mildly.

"But — we just returned home... and I thought..." Carolyn began, fighting back tears.

"And what about my ship?" Jonathan protested.

"And —" Candy began, "I wanted to write my great Americans essay about you..."

Martha crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Dash. "Well, you've got super powers too, stop him."

Dashire looked at her helplessly. "My dear, I would, if I could, but he does outrank me, and trust me, duties of this nature are not neglected lightly."

"We don't want him to neglect them 'lightly'," Carolyn shook her head. "What about a — could you trade off with someone? Just this once? A family emergency leave?"

"They'd never believe him," Dash stepped in. "Danny couldn't lie worth a flip when he was alive, and the ability did not improve with death. Ghostly duties aren't like — sick days."

"But," Daniel added smoothly, "I will return, at the first possible moment. It won't be more than two weeks, I'm sure. I've neglected this duty for far too long as it is." That was true enough. "And I have asked Dash here to stay and keep an eye out for you."

"Yes. You might say I'm collateral," the nobleman winked.

"Couldn't you have done it while we were... gone?" Carolyn frowned.

"Possibly," Daniel admitted, tugging his ear despite Dash's rolling eyes at the gesture. "But, I can't turn time backwards, and I didn't, so..."

"So, there is no help but to get it done forthwith," Dashire agreed, clapping his friend on the arm, as it happened, the one on the ear tugging side, knocking his hand down. "I know I'm not Danny, but I will do my best to repel invaders, scare off PTA ladies and so forth and so on."

**September 12 – Saturday**

Even if Dashire had been willing to let Daniel Gregg slip out in the middle of the night, the family wouldn't agree to that. It took all of the fortitude both sides possessed to see him off, but see him off they did. Only knowing he would return gave Carolyn and the children, and even Martha, the ability to let him go with no tears. Under dire threats, Dash crossed his heart multiple times to make sure that no harm came to the family.

The next few days had passed slowly. Having a ghost underfoot, if a ghost could be underfoot, per-se, was something the entire family had become accustomed to, more so since all the human occupants of Gull Cottage all knew how close they had come to losing their resident spirit, adopted father and surrogate employer. Carolyn was feeling the worst, all told, because the 'relationship' she had with Daniel Gregg was new, yet in some ways, at times still undefined, except for the knowledge that they could be together, and yet now they weren't. Again. The thought troubled her, naturally, but she did her best not to show it, for she was still the head of her 'ship,' and morale had to be kept up. And this time they HAD been assured that he was coming back, but the wait seemed interminable.

To be fair, Lord Dashire was doing a yeoman's job of keeping the children busy. Since Jonathan refused to finish his ship without the Captain, Dash had talked him into a new project — making a volleyball net, by hand, using all the knots Captain Gregg had taught him. Martha told the lord privately they could have bought a new net for half of what the rope Jonathan was using would end up costing, but did agree that the project WAS keeping the boy busy, and at such a time that was more important than a few dollars worth of rope.

Candy was keeping occupied too. Dash had convinced the girl she could still write her great Americans essay using the Captain as her subject, then proceeded to tell her story after story, while Jonathan listened in, about the seaman. Candy's pen flew to get it all down. Then Carolyn heard one particular story that was not told in any news article in the Captain's day, or in _The Memoirs of Daniel Gregg. _She insisted that it could not be used, for there was no way to explain where Candy had gotten the tale to begin with, and she had no desire to rerun the whole "John Adams vs. Ben Franklin" debacle. "It was still a 'keen story,' both children insisted. Carolyn agreed, and she made a mental note to ask Daniel why HE hadn't told her that particular tale during the course of writing the memoirs... but perhaps the question could wait until at least the _second_ day after the seaman's return.

And so the days passed slowly. Finally it was Saturday. That in itself was a reason for celebrating, the children said, as it meant no school, and when homework and chores were done, the children were allowed to do as they wished, within reason, of course. Jonathan had asked and received permission to go roller-skating in Keystone with Kyle and Conner, two of his best friends, promising to be back by five p.m. Candy had elected to stay home. She was eager to finish her great Americans essay, and then, she told her mother, she was going to start teaching herself to type. Candy had made a face at that point. The essay she had written had been a long one, and her teacher, Miss Drew, had mentioned that learning to type was an asset. Rubbing her fingers, still aching from all the writing she did while working on her paper, Candy had agreed wholeheartedly. Since Carolyn would be spending the afternoon at the library, it was an ideal time for Candy to start... at least with the basics.

"Just don't use ALL of my eraser, okay?" Carolyn smiled, kissed both children, and after telling Dash to keep her family safe, she started toward town.

XXX

Sometimes, quiet days have a way of becoming exciting. If not exciting, just a little different, after all.

It was about two hours later, at approximately two in the afternoon that a lone figure of a man _appeared_ on the beach, a half-mile away from Gull Cottage.

If one could see the man as he walked along, which one couldn't, the first thing one would notice is how downcast, sad and discouraged the figure looked as he came closer to the cozy cottage by the sea.

Arriving at the gate of Gull Cottage, the man gaped in astonishment at the house, now directly in front of him. It was... different. Yes. Certainly different than it was during his last visit... when was it in human time? Nineteen-sixty. That was it.

In the first place, it was clean. It almost sparkled, it was so clean. The windows shone in the sunlight. A small flowerbed surrounding a tree still held hydrangea, moss roses, petunias and impatiens, and upon looking further, he saw a hyacinth bean vine twining itself around a trellis near the side of the house. There was a small rocking chair on the front porch, and a bicycle, a girl's bicycle, leaned against the front of the house. A baseball, bat and glove were there too. Looking again, he saw a baseball cap perched jauntily on the head of one of the stone lions.

Coming closer, the man looked in the bay window. There were people inside! A little girl, blonde, was seated on the window seat, reading a paper of some sort. He couldn't see her face — the girl's head was bowed in concentration. Beyond her, he could see another woman, older, fifty-odd, busily dusting every flat surface in the room.

"Housekeeper," the man grunted, and vanished, re-materializing on the widow's-walk.

"Who are you? Advance and be recognized!" came a voice at his back. "I warn you, I have no misgivings when it comes to dealing with stowaways on board this ship!"

Turning, a look of relief came to the other spirit's face. "Dashire! It's you!"

"Sean? Sean O'Casey?" Dashire was nonplused.

Sean grinned. "Of course it's me, you crazy lord! Why did you scare me like that?" coming closer, he slapped his old friend on the back. "Advanced and be recognized, indeed! I canna believe you don't know your old shipmate when you see him! What the devil are you doing here?" Sean looked around again. "For a moment I thought I had gotten off course. I'm not in Skeldale... This IS Gull Cottage. What are you doing HERE, who are those two people inside, and where is Daniel?"

Dash looked around. The widow's-walk was an excellent place for night-watch, and to patrol from any time, but hardly a place to catch up with an old friend. "Sean, old son, I have a LOT to tell you. You are staying for a while?" He raised his eyebrows, asking an unspoken question, and Sean nodded. "Thought so — of course you are. Even a spirit needs to rest, occasionally. Care to join me in a glass of Madeira? Danny won't mind, as long as we don't abuse the privilege. I have things to tell you, and not THAT much time... Jonathan and Carolyn should be home in a couple of hours."

"Jonathan and... Carolyn?"

"Jonathan is Candy's — that's the little girl you saw when you peeked in the window — brother. They are Carolyn's children, and Carolyn is..."

"Is...?"

"Carolyn Muir is Daniel's... lady, Sean."

Sean O'Casey smiled, and then looked thoughtful. "So our admirable Captain has found his soul-mate at last?"

Dash nodded. "Yes, Sean, my boy."

"And she's..."

The lord nodded again. "Aye, Sean. She's mortal."

Sean rubbed his chin, and then slapped his fellow spirit on the back. "Lead me to the wheelhouse and the Madeira," Sean answered with a grin. "I have a feeling "A lot" doesn't BEGIN to cover what has been happening here in the last decade."

Up in the wheelhouse, over two glasses of Madeira, Dash filled Sean in.

XXX

"So that's the story, in a nutshell," Dash concluded. "Anyway, now that Carolyn, Martha and the children are safely back here, Daniel is working with Fontenot on how to remain corporeal for extended periods of time. But Sean, that's between you, me and Danny at the moment. Carolyn doesn't know, and Danny doesn't WANT her to know, just in case this two weeks of tutoring don't go well. He doesn't want her to be disappointed."

"Do you think Danny can learn?" Sean asked. "I've learned... to a degree, I guess you could say, but really I haven't felt the need that much... just enough to get by and fake it if I have to, especially when it comes to dealing with the living while I have been looking for..." He stopped suddenly, redirecting the conversation. "Incredible. Daniel Gregg falling at last. This Carolyn Muir must be quite a special lady."

Dash smiled. "She is indeed. And a perfect match for Daniel... Beautiful, feminine, but strong, smart, stubborn, determined, and not at all afraid of saying what she believes."

"She sounds like quite a woman," Sean smiled. "A little like..." His voice died away.

"She reminds me very much of Molly in some ways," Dash said calmly. "And she reminds me a bit of Aislynn too. I look forward to you meeting her." Dash gave his friend a look. "No luck in that department, Sean?" he asked, knowing his friend would know who he was asking about.

Sean shook his head. "None. Dash, I only dropped in to see Danny — He's not here, so..."

"Nonsense," Dash protested, finishing his Madeira. "You can't leave... at least not until Danny gets back and you two have had a chance to catch up! He'd never let me hear the end of it if I let you leave before he has a chance to say hello, at least! Besides..." he added, "...don't you want to stay and see what Fontenot is able to teach our dear Captain? I won't let you leave. You can't."

"Dash, I..." Sean continued to protest.

XXX

Meanwhile, downstairs, Candy Muir had finished the proof of her essay and had quietly made her way to the door of the attic, anxious to show Lord Dashire the results of her work. At the door of the wheelhouse she paused, hearing voices coming from the other side. Male voices.

Uttering a cry of delight, Candy burst in the door. "Captain! You're..." Her face fell upon seeing the spirit seated there. "...back," she finished quietly, her face turning bright red. "I'm sorry, I..." She paused. What was there to say? The handsome specter before her clearly wasn't her Captain... who WAS he?

"Sorry, love..." Dash turned to the girl, his face regretful. "Candy my dear, Daniel has not returned..." Standing, he bowed. "Allow me to make formal introductions here..." he started, trying to make the best of an awkward situation. "Sean O'Casey, this is Miss Candace Muir. Candace Muir, this is Mr. Sean O'Casey. Candy, Sean is a very old and dear friend of mine... and Captain Gregg's."

Candy looked at the handsome figure in front of her. "You're another gho — spirit?"

Sean nodded. "That doesn't distress you, I hope?"

"No... I've... I think I remember the Captain mentioning you before," said Candy.

"And my... popping in here doesn't bother you?" Sean asked, impressed at the girl's nonchalance.

"Nah, I'm kinda used to spirits," she said. "But I... I'm sorry for barging in. I really thought the Captain was back."

Sean shook his head again. "Sorry, love. I wish I could be he, if only to make you happy, but no man, alive or dead, could pass themselves off as Daniel Gregg."

"That's okay," Candy smiled, silently agreeing, and she turned to the Englishman... spirit, looking very serious. "Thanks a lot, really."

Dashire looked startled for an instant. "Uhm... why?"

"Because this time I got to meet a real live spirit BEFORE Mom and Jonathan!" Candy grinned. Turning to Sean O'Casey she added. "Did Lord Dashire tell you how I met Captain Gregg?"

"No, my dear," Sean smiled again. "But I'd love to hear about it."

"It's a cool story, but at the time it happened, I was kinda scared," said Candy, settling herself in the love seat. "And then I was a little ticked, but I'm okay now." She looked at Sean, sitting on the edge of the Captain's desk.

"Scared of Daniel?" Sean couldn't help but look surprised.

"No... The thunderstorm, silly!" Candy smiled, and began her tale.

Dash leaned back in his seat and relaxed. With a little luck, the meeting between Sean and the rest of the Gull Cottage inhabitants would go as smoothly as Candy's just had.

XXX

Not looking up from her dusting, Martha asked, "Candy, did you bring Lord Dashire down with you? I could use a hand lifting the sofa to vacuum under it..."

The unfamiliar laugh made her turn around to stare at where Candy and the two specters stood in the door. "Uh — are you..."

Taking the initiative, Dash drew his friend forward. "Martha, love, this rogue is Sean O'Casey, the Captain's first mate. He's just pulled into port and, with your forbearance, would like to dock for a bit, at least until Daniel comes home. He's a good soul, even better at moving couches than I am."

"You just don't want to stoop to manual labor, old son," Sean suggested calmly, taking Martha's hand gallantly. "But any help I can offer is, of course, yours." As he kissed her hand, the housekeeper flushed.

"Are all of you guys so charming?"

"No, there's one or two that are right scoundrels, but we won't let them board, dear one," Dashire assured her with a wink.

"Isn't it cool that you and I get to meet Sean before Mom and Jonathan?" Candy beamed.

Raising her eyebrows, Martha nodded. "Yes. We really ought to hide you for a year, to keep things even, but we won't."

"I thank you for that, Ma'am," Sean nodded. "Now, you wanted a couch lifted?"

"Oh, don't bother, I can't ask company to..." Martha protested.

"I'm not company, I'm part of Daniel's crew. Being a spirit doesn't change that," Sean assured her. Coming alongside the couch he frowned. "What's this? I don't recognize this couch."

"The one that was here when we moved in was a disgrace," Martha informed him. "So, we replaced it."

Casting his eyes around, Sean quietly observed, "Aye. And did a bit of revamping, it looks like."

Uncomfortable now, Martha looked disconcerted. "I understand that the Captain wasn't too thrilled, but that happened before I met him."

"In any case, I think Danny's adjusted," Dash added. "Now, are you going to make me levitate that thing or..."

"It'd do you good, a bit of honest labor," Sean drawled, but waved a hand, lifting the sofa until Martha swiped the vacuum under it. "Anything else?"

"No. Mrs. Muir will be home soon, I'm sure... can I get you anything?"

"Take her up on it, old son. She's a queen of the kitchen," Dash instructed, kissing his fingers.

Before Sean could agree or dissent, the door rattled and Carolyn Muir stepped inside. From the outside, Jonathan could be heard thundering up the walk.

"How'd the typing go?" Carolyn asked as she glanced at the mail in her hand. It hadn't taken the bills long to find out she'd moved home again.

"Great... Mom, this is Captain Gregg's first mate, Sean O'Casey," Candy blurted out as Jonathan ran in with Scruffy. "Martha and I got to meet him first."

"Another ghost?" Jonathan demanded.

"Aye. I think I've been one the longest of the three of us, actually," Sean shrugged, extending a hand in turn to Carolyn and Jonathan. "By a year or so. I didna ken that Danny'd let anyone move in, until I landed and Dashire here tried to run me through, verbally."

"Has he..." Carolyn began.

"I brought him up to speed, milady," Dash nodded.

"Thank you, Dash," Carolyn smiled. "Ah... are you staying?"

"If it's all right. I havena seen Danny in about ten years, and a bit longer on this rogue," Sean asked. "I promise I'm not much trouble."

"If you sing for your supper, then we'll give it due consideration," Dash jested.

"Of course you can stay," Carolyn returned, liking the kindness she could see in Sean's eyes. "Goodness knows, I've had enough guests in... surely Daniel's entitled to one, now and then... I'm not sure what the protocol is yet for..."

"I don't need a room or anything, Missus," Sean shrugged. "And if I did, well, Dash and I've had to bunk together before. Ships didn't have too many individual rooms."

"Of course... well, if you need anything... just speak up."

A bit of sadness passed over his face, quickly gone as Sean shook his head. "I don't have many needs. Dash tells me you are a writer? I wonder if I could see your book?"

"Certainly. If you'll come with me..."

"Can I have a snack, Martha?" Jonathan asked.

"Dinner is in an hour, so I think you can hold out," she instructed. "So can you, your Lordship."

The ghost exchanged a look of pure woe with the boy.

XXX

Over dinner, Sean listened with interest to the family catch up on the day's events with each other. Seeing how well his old friend fit in with them and hearing how much they respected and loved his Captain warmed a part of his heart that had felt empty for too long. The boy had a million questions, drawing him out despite himself.

After the kids were put to bed, Carolyn joined the two ghosts on the porch for after dinner coffee.

"So, you're the third musketeer," she opened the conversation.

"Musketeer?" Sean asked.

"Dumas, old boy," Dash elucidated.

"I know that, I just never thought of us as that. There were four of them, I thought..."

"D'Artagnon came along later," Dash chuckled. "I'm not sure if anyone on our old ship fits that description."

Sean considered, taking a sip of his brew. "There was one young chap, but..." He chuckled, laughing truly for the first time since arriving. Carolyn enjoyed the sound. "If things get boring, maybe we'll try to find him... but..."

"But a bit of peace is welcome," Carolyn agreed. "I'm glad to finally meet you. Daniel spoke very highly of you in his memoirs. Where do you live, haunt, normally?"

"Right now, I'm, a bit at loose ends. I just lived in a rooming house, when I needed such things or stayed with a friend... usually Daniel or Dashire here. The rooming house is a laundry place now... but for the most part, I've traveled."

"You're welcome here, whenever you like, I'm sure Daniel would agree," Carolyn offered with a gentle touch where his arm should have been. It disconcerted her a bit when her hand went through at first. Sean hastily solidified.

"Thank you, Ma'am."

"Carolyn."

"And I'm Sean, none of this Mister bit. But are you sure? I take it you aren't too fond of antiques?"

"People and things are two different things, Sean," Carolyn grimaced. "And, aside from that horrible couch, I admit I've regretted more than once getting rid of some of the antiques... but what's done is done. I'd really like you to stay, if you want to."

"Of course he does," Dash glared at his friend. "Sean is like Danny, a packrat. The shock of seeing things cleaned up just threw him a bit."

"I guess so, after so long," Carolyn smiled.

"Aye. As he said," Sean agreed.

A meditative look came into her eye for a moment. Sean and Dash saw it for a split second, but she didn't elaborate, then the look was gone. Sean considered, but when he gazed again at the sincere look still there in her lovely green eyes, he was sold. "Anything, missus."

Carolyn's face lit up. "Thank you, Sean. I guess we can't do anything about it until morning... oh, Dashire... I wondered, do I need to get your relatives' permission to do your memoirs?" The idea of dealing with the irritants she'd heard so much about clearly did not thrill her.

"Well, now that Sean is here to keep watch..." the nobleman began.

"We really don't need babysitting," Carolyn smiled.

"My word is my word," Dash insisted. "But I think Danny would let me hand off the pleasant duty to Sean, for an hour or two while I drop in on Adam."

"Adam? One of your grandsons?" she asked.

"Oh, no. Though I do wish it were so. He's my lawyer, as of — a few weeks ago, roughly. Passed the bar and inherited me from his dad, who promptly whisked Mrs. Pierce off on a tour of the globe. He took meeting me as a ghost well. I haven't hit him with any tasks yet, this would be a good start. I'll likely be home by the time you're up, but if I'm not, I'm in Skeldale, and will return shortly."

"Take whatever time you need," Carolyn firmly stated.

Sean shook his head. _Who ever heard of a ghost having staff?_

XXX

Carolyn paced the balcony outside the master cabin. Nine p.m. Candy and Jonathan were safely tucked in bed. Martha had finished the supper dishes and was watching television. Dash and Sean were back in the wheelhouse, "still catching up," they said. Gazing toward the sky, brilliantly lit by moonlight and the iridescent stars twinkling above her sighing, she thought about the many walks she and Daniel had taken together on such nights in the past, both before and after their relationship had changed. Looking up at the brilliant moon, she whispered:

"Wherever you are, are you are looking at the moon, too, Daniel? Isn't it lovely? Maybe if I close my eyes and think hard enough I can feel you back here, beside me, and we are seeing it together..." Shutting her eyes, she concentrated. _Blast it, it just isn't the same... _A single, solitary tear trickled down her cheek, followed by several more. Lifting her hand to her face, she dashed them away, and shook her head. _No law that says I can't take a nice walk, on my own beach, by myself... _Her thoughts continued. _The moon is so bright. It looks like it's only twilight..._ Stepping back through the French doors, she grabbed a jacket from the back of her desk chair and made her way downstairs. Arriving in the living room, she beckoned to Martha.

"Why, Mrs. Muir!" The housekeeper looked surprised at her employer's appearance. "You're going out? I thought you were going to work on your story for a bit."

Carolyn nodded. "I was, but I... I can't concentrate."

Martha raised an eyebrow. "Sean and Dash... they haven't been bothering you, have they?"

Carolyn smiled. "Oh, no, I think they are in the attic. Have been since shortly after dinner. It's not them. I just feel restless. I thought a walk might help."

"By yourself? Isn't it kind of late? Mrs. Muir, I..."

Carolyn forced a smile. "I'll be fine, Martha. The moon is so bright; it's almost like day, and... And I really need to walk. I won't be gone long."

"Would you like some company?" the housekeeper asked, "I could..."

Carolyn shook her head. "I'd rather be by myself, but thank you for asking. I need to un-muddle myself for bit. Clear my head."

Martha shrugged. "Well, I can't stop you, but I wish you..." she broke off. "Well, I guess everyone relaxes in their own way."

"Exactly," Carolyn nodded. "I'll be back in a bit."

"You're positive you don't want me to come, too?" Martha pressed, following her employer to the foyer.

Opening the door, Carolyn shook her head. "No, Martha, I'd really rather be alone."

The door closed behind her and Carolyn was gone.

"In a pig's eye," the housekeeper muttered. "You'd rather be taking a walk with Daniel Gregg, like you have done almost every night since we all returned to Gull Cottage. You miss him." She started back toward the living room. "You miss him, Mrs. Muir, and to tell the truth, I miss the old goat, too. I wish he would come home."

XXX

Forty-five minutes after Carolyn's departure, Charles Dashire and Sean O'Casey materialized in front of Martha Grant.

"Martha, love," Dash started. "I was telling Sean here the tale of how you found out about Danny, and Sean reminded me that he hadn't even heard the full story of how Carolyn met our fearless leader. Thought she might fill us in a bit. We tapped on her door, but no one answered. It's early yet, has she retired for the night?"

Martha shook her head. "No... Mrs. Muir went for a walk. Said she was restless, and needed to think." She looked at the clock on the mantle above the fireplace. "Heavens. That was almost an hour ago. I need to..."

Dashire cut her off. "Nonsense, love. You need to stay here and watch the children. You can't leave them alone. I'll go find her. Sean can come with me."

Sean O'Casey shook his head. "No, Dash. You canna do that. You promised Danny you would keep a constant guard over his loved ones at Gull Cottage... Martha and the children can't be here, unprotected, this late at night."

"Sean, it would only be for..."

"You PROMISED, Dash."

The lord rubbed his chin, sensing a possible ulterior motive in his friend's words. "And your suggestion would be?"

Sean shrugged. "You stay here, I'll go look for her. It won't take me long. I'll make sure she gets back here safely."

Martha looked at the Irish spirit thoughtfully for a moment and then at Lord Dashire. "I think that might be a good idea. No sense putting you both out. And as you said, Sean..." Her gaze shifted back to the other spirit, and she too wondered if perhaps he wanted private words with her employer. "You can find her right away. She said she just needed the walk. I'm sure nothing is wrong, but I would feel better if one of you big strong spirits stayed here. I've grown rather used to one or two of you guys guarding the place."

Dash nodded to his friend. "Very well, Sean, old boy, you find her and then pop back here and..."

Sean cut him off. "I most assuredly will not! I'll find her and walk her home, as any self-respecting gentleman would!"

"Aye-aye, Sir!" Dash grinned. "I suppose this matter is settled. Martha love..." he turned back to the housekeeper. "The night is still young... might there still be some snickerdoodles left? I know I had a few at dinner, but I just can't get my mind off them, and..."

Rolling his eyes, Sean O'Casey disappeared.

XXX

Carolyn looked up at the stars, listened to the splashing of the waves, and as the moonlight cascaded over the water and the shoreline, she thought of Daniel, and everything that had happened in the last two years. _He is coming back, Carolyn,_ she scolded herself. _It's only for two weeks... But why does each day feel like a month?_

Sean materialized about a mile and a half from Gull Cottage — and a mile down the beach. Not being quite as 'tuned in' to Carolyn and the rest of the family as Dash, and obviously, Danny, had him at a slight disadvantage. Where the devil was Carolyn? _Danny would never forgive me, or Dash either if anything has happened to her..._ he started to walk.

He finally caught sight of her about ten minutes later. At first he wasn't sure it was she, but how many people would be walking a private beach at this time of night? Carolyn had stopped, and was leaning against a large beach rock. As he came toward her, she didn't move — just stood and stared off into space, toward the horizon. "Carolyn?" he called quietly, from a distance.

She jumped slightly, and then waved to the figure coming her way. "Sean?"

"Carolyn, my dear," he continued, coming up to where she was seated. "We... that is Martha, Dash and I were getting concerned about you."

"Concerned?" her eyebrows lifted. "This is my beach... mine and... and Daniel's. I know every inch of it. I'm fine."

"Still, you have been gone an hour, and it is late," he said quietly, not wanting to scold.

Carolyn sighed. "I suppose you're right. It is late, but I needed to think, and walking helps me think. I guess I needed to think a lot." She gave him a slight grin. "I suppose it's no secret that I miss Daniel."

Sean smiled. "Well, no, not really."

"I suppose Dashire has told you everything about Daniel and me and... everything?"

"Only as much as one gentleman would tell another gentleman, Carolyn. Dash and Daniel are both that, you know."

"I love Nineteenth-Century morals and manners," she smiled. "But you have been caught up on most of our adventures?" Sean nodded. "So I have been out here thinking, about, things, and how much I miss him. He will return, I know that, but it doesn't make the time pass any faster, and I can't tell you how much I miss not being able to TALK to him every day. And writing without Daniel around hasn't been any picnic, either. I miss him hovering over my shoulder."

"I write a bit, when I have the chance," Sean put in. "That is, when I'm not busy with other... pursuits."

Carolyn watched a shadow pass across the spirit's face... or was that just a trick of the moonlight?

"Really? I'd love to see some of your work... If you are willing to show me, that is."

"I suppose I could show you a bit, sometime," Sean shrugged. "Most of my logs and journals are stored at the moment, but I could get to them." He held his hand out to her. "Are you ready to come home, Carolyn? You walked quite a way, and we still have to walk back."

"We?"

Sean shook his head. "Twentieth-Century women! There are some things about one-hundred years ago I do not miss, but when it comes to independent women, I'm flummoxed. Manners! What you expect of men! I'm a gentleman, and if you think I am going to leave you here to walk home by yourself, you are sadly mistaken."

Carolyn smiled and took the hand he still had extended and pulled herself up from her hard seat. "I'll take your company, gladly."

XXX

They had been walking for perhaps five minutes before Sean said a word. "Mrs. Muir?" he began, formally.

"I thought we agreed it was Carolyn."

"Carolyn, yes... Carolyn, may I ask you a question? If it's none of my business you can always tell me, but I..." Sean stopped speaking and looked uncomfortable.

"Yes?"

"No... Forget I asked ye anything. I haven't known you long enough. T'wouldn't be polite."

"If it's not polite, or I don't want to tell you, I won't. Now ask."

"All right, but don't say I didn't try to keep my curiosity to myself." He paused for another fraction of an instant. "Carolyn, why did you discard Danny's furniture? I have to know... well, I suppose I don't HAVE to, but I would like to... his sofa from Madrid... his breakfront... his chart rack. You do realize that was a gift to him — from an Admiral? He was very proud of it... I'm quite surprised he even LET you give it away. And I won't even BEGIN to talk about his tree, he..."

Even in the moonlight, Sean could see her face turn red. _Was it anger, or embarrassment?_ he wondered.

Carolyn didn't answer his question immediately, and when she did, it was with another question.

"Sean, you've known Daniel for a long time? Since you served together in the Navy?"

"Aye... and long before that. We grew up together here in Maine. Both orphaned. We ran away to sea together, finished growing up together. I was his first mate after he became Captain of his own ship, on and off, for more than fifteen years. Through thick and thin, that's us... through everything." He looked pensive for a moment, Carolyn thought, and she wondered what he was thinking about. Nodding, she continued.

"Well, knowing him that long... and another hundred years since, I suppose I can understand your curiosity... and concern? When you saw his things missing after so long. I... I guess the only thing I can say is I DIDN'T know Daniel as well as you when I sent his things to salvage."

"Salvage. Then you didn't burn them, or anything?"

Carolyn grinned, and Sean could see her face relax a bit. "No — well, I suppose I better begin at the beginning. This might take a while to explain, I..."

"We still have a stretch of the legs before we arrive at Gull Cottage. Carolyn, I'm a spirit. I have all the time in the world," he answered, giving her a wink. "Go on."

"I suppose we had been living in the house about two and a half months," Carolyn began. "It took us... me a little while to settle in, and recover financially from the move here. It had taken every cent I had, plus a little I borrowed from my folks to move, and I needed to get them paid back, first and foremost. That accomplished, I started thinking about making a few changes... you know, rearranging some furniture, and... Stuff," she concluded weakly. "Making this house, my home."

"Such as scuttling Danny's furniture?" Sean asked, frowning.

"It didn't START that way," Carolyn answered quickly. "It started late one windy night after Martha and I had made a comment about his monkey-puzzle tree, and..."

"And Danny popped his cork," Sean finished for her.

"That's putting it mildly," Carolyn frowned. "I suppose Dash told you about it... after Daniel told him. Anyway, the next day, Daniel tried to make up for losing his temper, I was still furious. More than I should have been, I suppose, but, you see, my late husband was quite dictatorial, just like his father, actually, and having a ghost, an illusion, try and tell me what to do... I just sort of flipped. After more arguing, Daniel agreed that I could do whatever I wanted to make the place homey for me, and the children and Martha."

"So where do the sofa and breakfront and chart rack come in?" Sean asked puzzled. "Between you and me, I can understand about the tree. Perhaps it was dangerous, and I do understand your concern, the children and all. It was a bit top-heavy and I do remember how much it swayed in a stiff wind, even ten years ago."

Stopping, Carolyn smiled up at the Irishman. "I appreciate that. I overreacted about the tree. There were other ways I could have resolved the problem, but it was just a combination of things." Starting to walk again, she continued. "The next morning, as I said, Daniel was apologetic — as least as much as he would admit to then, and promised I could do anything I wanted to in the way of re-decorating. I already had Claymore Gregg's permission, so I charged right in. The first thing I did was go into town and purchase a new sofa."

"Danny had a sofa, the one from Madrid."

"That monstrosity was NOT a sofa, as I know the meaning of the word," Carolyn smiled. "The frame and springs were shot, and the fabric was worn and dirty and it was the most uncomfortable thing I have ever sat on in my life, and Martha, Candy, and even Jonathan had said the same thing... a new one was a necessity, and I bought one at the used furniture store in town and had Seth and Abner deliver it at the same time they were picking up the old one."

"All right," Sean smiled. "I'll concede to you on the first point. It probably wasn't comfortable, by twentieth-century standards. I got a look at how your children like to sprawl while watching the television after supper tonight. So where do the breakfront and chart rack come in?"

"I... I goofed there," Carolyn flushed. "The new sofa took up a bit more room than the old one, and I must admit, looked a little out of place among the antiques, and the room was crowded. The breakfront was there, but wasn't being used, for anything... storage, or even to display of Daniel' curios or models, and it was such a huge piece, I decided that it was really too big for the room, but I had nowhere else to put it, so I told Seth and Abner to take it. Daniel had stopped arguing about what I was doing, so, so I guess I thought it was all right."

"Dumb move, Carrie," Sean cut in. "If you'll pardon me for saying so. I suppose you learned later that the piece belonged to Daniel's Aunt Violet? The woman who raised him after his parents died? Until we ran away to sea together, that is."

"I know it was dumb, Sean." Carolyn said softly. "I didn't find out it was his aunt's until much later." She paused. "It's been ages since anyone called me Carrie... since junior high."

"I won't call you that, if you would rather I didn't..." Sean answered. The formal tone had returned to his voice.

"No... That's all right. Actually I like it. It seems very natural, coming from you."

Sean relaxed again. "It just kind of came to me. I think it fits you. I'm glad you don't mind. Carrie, what about the chart rack? Didn't you know what it meant to Danny? It was a gift... a very special gift from Admiral—"

Carolyn held up a hand. "I know. You don't know how badly I feel, but it... it was for the same reason. Big, bulky and overpowering in the room, and where I might have been able to figure out what to do with the breakfront if I hadn't been trying so hard to assert myself, proclaim my independence from overbearing, dictatorial men... spirits, at least that's what I thought I was doing at the time, what on earth was I going to do with a chart rack? Daniel didn't even store his charts in there anymore. They were up in the attic by that time, I think. Again, it occurred to me after the tree, after our fighting, after we made up, that all I really needed to do was move both the pieces up to the attic. I would have helped him re-arrange... whatever it took, but by the time BOTH our tempers had cooled, the pieces were gone. Daniel has never mentioned their loss again, but you have no idea how much I wish I hadn't let my temper get the better of me. I'd love to get the pieces back for him, especially now that the Memoirs have been sold and the advance is in the bank. I have the money, but I have no idea where to start looking for them."

"All three pieces?" Sean grinned, baiting her a bit.

Carolyn grinned back at him, understanding what he was trying to do. "That sofa is NOT coming back here. I'd like to think it's been firewood for quite some time now."

Sean nodded. "I suspect so, but I have hopes for the other two pieces."

"I do too," Carolyn sighed. "But as I said, I have no idea where to start. I'd be happy if I could find even one of the two, but I'd rather find them both. I want to get them back for him. Sean, I know you just got here, but... but since you want to stay and see Daniel, and you did offer your help, do you think perhaps you and Dash can help me? I want to do something special for him, you see."

"I would think what you have is... very special indeed, Carolyn," Sean gave her a sad smile. "Your kind of love happens rarely... and when it does, it's for a lifetime and beyond. I'm sure Danny thinks you and your family are special enough."

"I still want to try, at least," Carolyn insisted, stubbornly. "Our anniversary is coming up."

"I thought you only returned to Gull Cottage a month ago?" Sean asked tactfully, trusting that Carolyn would understand his puzzlement.

She blushed a pretty pink. "Not THAT anniversary. September twenty-first marks the second anniversary of the day we all FIRST moved into Gull Cottage."

"I see..." Sean answered. "And you want to try to find the breakfront, or the chart rack, or both and give them to him as an anniversary present?"

"Yes."

"Any idea where you are going to put them? The living room does seem fairly full..."

She shrugged. "I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Somewhere. Back to my idea of putting them in his wheelhouse. But there's no sense worrying about it, unless we can find them."

As the two approached the front of the house, Sean stopped. "Carrie, would this Claymore fellow I've heard of know anything? Dash says he is something of a cheapskate.. Doesn't like to give things away."

Carolyn shrugged. "I haven't an idea in the world. He gave me permission to give away the furniture two years ago. He wasn't in on the dealings back then. It's a small town, but I suppose he might know something."

Sean rubbed his chin. "All right then, it's a place to start. I'll fill Dash in on the plan tonight after you are asleep, and tomorrow we'll go see Claymore. See what he has to offer. Truthfully, I'd love to meet the man, see if he is as much of an idiot as Danny thinks he is. Besides, if we start asking around town for the blasted things, there's every possibility that we will need a mortal's name to throw around. Not to mention who's going to be buying the treasures back, if we find them." Distracted, Sean walked right through the stone gate. "Oh, I do beg your pardon, Carrie. Too much time alone. I forget my manners." A quick gesture, the gate door was open, and Carolyn had stepped through, Sean closing it behind her.

"Sean, I want to buy the furniture back. I can afford it. Besides, I never would have written the memoirs if it weren't for Daniel. Aside from the fact I want to, it's the right thing to do," Carolyn protested. They made their way up the flagstone walk to the porch, and Carolyn reached for the door.

"What's the right thing to do?" Dash asked, the door opening before she had a chance to turn the knob.

"Furniture, Dash," Sean answered, giving his friend a smile. "Come Monday, we are going treasure hunting."

END PART ONE


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: The characters from 'The Ghost and Mrs. Muir' belong to 20th Century Fox and David Gerber productions. No infringement is intended, no profit is made, and the characters will be returned unharmed from whence they came. This story is for enjoyment only. All other characters, plots, story lines and development of GAMM characters belong to the authors and may not be used or changed without express written permission. Set in the **__**From this Day On Universe**__**, between **__**When The Stars Come Out **__**and **__**Ghost Riders**__**. We do not own GAMM or its denizens. Sean and Molly O'Casey are Mary's, forever on loan to Amanda. The rest of the new characters are Amanda's, borrowed from the following: Skeldale, Tristan and Siegfried are names and characters in part borrowed from the fabulous James Herriot books, All Creatures Great and Small, etc. Blackwood, from Andrew Greeley. Linden from Stephen R. Donaldson. Adam from Panzer/Davis. Many, many thanks to Susan Griffith for the always needed beta read.**_

**Serendipity**

Mary and Amanda

_**PART TWO**_

**September 14 – Monday**

Shuddering at the chaos in which he suddenly found himself, Lord Dashire tapped imperiously on Claymore's desk to get the little man's attention.

"Aaayngh!" Clay yelped, jumping a bit. Then, adjusting his glasses that had dislodged when he startled, he saw who was there. "Oh, it's you, for a moment I thought it was _him._"

"Not at present. But it is about him."

The landlord muttered something under his breath; it sounded somewhat like he said, "What isn't?" but Dash didn't ask him to clarify, so that might be debatable. Louder, he said, "Well, what is it?"

"It's about the breakfront and the chart rack," Dash explained.

"What breakfront and chart rack?" Claymore asked. If he was playing dumb, he was doing a great job of it.

Mentally counting, Dash informed him, "The ones that Carolyn gave away at the time she got the new sofa and cut down Danny's tree." He winced a bit mentioning the tree.

Now, Claymore did look panicky.

"Let's not talk about that. I wasn't involved. It's one of the few things HE doesn't blame me for, so I — don't get me wrong, Mrs. Muir is wonderful... one of the best tenants I ever had," on the last note, he shouted, just in case he was being eavesdropped on. "But that was a major boo-boo. I wouldn't even do that!"

"We know," Sean announced, popping in. "But she wants to get them back now, and we're helping her, and we want your help too."

"But it's been two years! And I repeat, was not involved in that! Who are you? And why am I infested with ghosts all of a sudden?"

The two ghosts exchanged wounded looks. "Infested? Claymore, I thought you liked me," Dash frowned.

"And we're only two — that's not an infestation," Sean scoffed.

"Four. There's you two and HIM, and that one that takes his head off," Claymore corrected sulkily.

"Who else is here?" Sean asked out of the corner of his mouth.

"Elroy," Dash whispered.

Sean moaned slightly. "No better these days, huh?"

The nobleman shook his head. "Afraid not."

Thumping the desk for attention, Claymore glared at the Irishman. "Excuse me, I said WHO ARE YOU? and never got an answer. So who are you?"

Dash's eyebrows shot up, as he murmured approvingly, "I do say, old son. I think you're growing a backbone, at last."

"I'm Sean O'Casey, the Captain's oldest and dearest friend."

"Older than him?" Claymore sniped.

"Watch it," Dash warned. "Or you WILL need courage. Now, you were going to help us find those very valuable antiques..."

"Valuable?" Claymore gave Dash a cagey look. "I didn't know they were valuable..."

"That's for you to speculate, Clay," Dash answered. "Anything over a certain age becomes an antique, sooner or later, so yes, the furniture is worth something."

"But I'm sure you will agree that the items are worth far more to Daniel Gregg and Carolyn Muir than they are to you, old boy," Sean continued.

Claymore's head bobbed up and down. "Uh, huh, which is exactly the reason I never tried to sell any of the Captain's stuff!"

"Beg to differ, old chap," Dash interrupted, "But you most certainly did SO! Danny's told me you did!"

"He did?" Sean turned to his friend. "What did he sell?"

"His Tunisian incense burner, his Chinese war god, and his watchamacallit."

"His fire screen?" Sean 'tisked.' "For shame, Claymore. That was NOT very nice of you..."

"Well, uhm..." Claymore paused, frantically trying to think of a good excuse. "Well, I didn't get away with it... even had to buy them back, so that doesn't count. And I've never tried it again, either," he added, for good measure.

"Well, that's fine," Dash continued. "But now Carolyn is trying to remedy the rest of the situation by getting the things she gave away back, also."

"Well, what do you want ME to do about it?" Claymore whined. "She ditched that stuff almost two years ago."

"We just need some information," Sean soothed him. "And maybe permission to mention your name if things get touchy. Now then, Carolyn said that two men, Seth and Abner, hauled the furniture away that day. Who are they, exactly?"

Claymore's face brightened. "Oh! Seth Jackson and Abner Dawes. They have a business... do a little of everything in Schooner Bay... salvage, delivery, a little repair work here and there, and..." He stopped.

"And... what?" Sean prodded.

"...and, well, I know you two didn't have to worry about it a hundred years ago... wish I didn't have to worry about it now, but if they delivered or hauled away anything, like those antiques, they would have to have records..."

"Records of what?" Dash asked. "Speak up, man!"

"Pickup, delivery, who they sold it to," Claymore finished. "For income tax records. There would have to be files."

Turning in the direction of Claymore's overflowing filing cabinet, Dash sniffed and rolled his eyes heavenward. "Records... files..." he moaned. "Oh, joy. We could be hunting for another hundred years."

Claymore shook his head again. "Uhm, I'll ignore that comment, just this once, since you have a point, sort of. Seth Jackson's wife, Paula, handles all his bookkeeping and filing. She majored in Accounting in college. His files are... well, just a bit better organized than mine are."

"You mean to tell me we might be able to find out what happened to them just by making a call on one person?" Sean demanded. "Why didn't you say something before?"

"I did," Claymore argued. "I just told you!" He turned to Lord Dashire. "Sheesh, your friend here is excitable!"

"Thanks, old man," Dash patted the nervous man on the back. "Just one more thing. Can you give us directions to this Jackson fellow's place?"

"Go out the front door, make a right. Go down two blocks, make another right turn, go two more blocks, and it's the first house on the left," Claymore answered. "But Dash, you're still dressed just a little on the... uhm, dandy side, if you get my meaning. You'd attract less attention if you would dress just a little more like the seventies... nineteen seventies, that is."

"Well, it gives us a place to start," said Dash. "Maybe by some wild chance Danny's home port being in a small town will make things simple, after all."

"We won't know until we get busy," Sean answered.

Thanking the man in one breath, the two spirits shimmered and were suddenly redressed in fashionable, but not too formal business suits of the period, and on their way down the street.

XXX

Considering almost two years had gone by, finding the Captain's antiques turned out to be much easier than they had ever hoped. Telling Paula Jackson that they were representatives for Mrs. Muir, interested in preserving a "great man's (Daniel Gregg's) memorabilia..." and that they were on the trail of furniture 'accidentally' removed from the Gull Cottage, the two spirits were able to learn that, as suspected, the sofa had been summarily junked. The breakfront and the chart rack, however, had both been sold to an antique shop in Keystone.

"How far is Keystone, again? Sean asked Dash as they exited the Jackson home.

"Twenty miles. Nothing at all," Dash answered as the two made their way down an alley, preparing to vanish. We'll be there in no time."

Arriving in Keystone, behind "Treasures and Trifles," Keystone's largest antique shop, the two spirits became solid again, walked around the building and entered the front door. Once inside, representing themselves as they had to Mrs. Jackson, they were more than pleasantly surprised to learn that the items were once more in... Schooner Bay!

Lord Dashire smiled when he heard the names listed as the buyers. "Sean, old friend, we're halfway home."

XXX

Landing in front of the quaint cottage, Dash donned his best smile before knocking on the pink gingerbread door. When it was opened a moment or two later by a lady of advanced years, his smile broadened. "Good day, Ma'am. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Charles Dashire, and I'm hoping you can help me. I need to talk to Mrs. Daisy Stoddard?"

"I'm Daisy Stoddard — but I'm not a Missus, just Miss," the woman said uncertainly.

Lifting his brows, Dashire blinked. "Are the men of this town blind idiots? What an utter pity. Miss Stoddard, I do hope you can help me."

"I don't see how..." she frowned, and I'm right in the middle of packing..."

"Ah. Some Lothario has found you after all, and is carrying you off... on a cruise? A world tour? My loss..."

"Oh, no. No. I'm moving, and trying to pack... well, as much as I can... and I need to go over to the _Beacon_ and place an ad..." Miss Stoddard began to appear somewhat flustered and troubled.

"An ad?" Dash prompted.

"Yes... I shouldn't be telling you all this, you're a stranger and you did say you had important business..." she twittered.

"Tsk. Not at all. Perhaps listening to your troubles I can help? I can delay my business a bit for such a worthy cause."

Miss Stoddard sighed. "I'm to move in with my niece, into a rather small apartment, you see..."

Glancing around the room, primarily to locate the breakfront, Dashire noticed the front room alone was rather jumbled with knick-knacks and miscellaneous treasure. "Of course... and you are being forced to sacrifice your lovely things... now that is a terrible pity... but one I perhaps can help with..." His slow smile would melt a woman of any age's heart, or set it on fire. "You see, I'm associated with Mrs. Carolyn Muir's book, the one about Daniel Gregg," he began, reminding himself tacitly that he had to rouse Adam later and see about getting a release signed so Carolyn could write his book. "When she first moved here, well you can obviously empathize with her on the chaos of moving, and in the process she mistakenly parted with some of the great man's possessions. Of course, it was a terrible error, and never should have happened, but be that as it may, it did. Now, her position is a bit less tenuous and certainly in less upheaval than it was immediately after her transition, so it would mean a great deal to her to restore Gull Cottage to its original glory... but she can't do that you see, unless she can regain what was lost. Of course, the sofa is gone, but perhaps the rest can be found again..." His face morphed into a masque of sorrow.

Wide eyed, Miss Stoddard breathed, "Oh, dear! I can certainly understand, but how could I possibly help? I really don't have the time to research where it all went to."

"Oh, there's no need of that," Dashire rushed to assure her. "Though I'm certain that my quest would have gone more smoothly if I had simply asked you to begin with, I can see your acumen in these matters is surely without match. I do know where the two items in question are, and my associate is seeing to recovering one of them as we speak. Captain Gregg's dear aunt Violet, who raised him, left him a fine, antique breakfront, that very one over there, in fact. If I could persuade you to part with it, I'm sure that in whatever place his spirit is now, he would rest easier, knowing that from the hands of one dear, sweet aunt, HIS dear sweet aunt's gift has been returned to its home."

"I had no idea that it belonged to Captain Gregg, I mean, no one ever got to go into Gull Cottage until Mrs. Muir moved in!" Miss Stoddard gasped. "Had I but known..."

"Oh, to be sure," Dash said, not certain what he was supposed to be sure of, but it seemed the thing to say. "So, you do see how much it would mean to see the piece back to its first home?"

"Yes, and I would feel better about leaving it, knowing it was going where it really belonged... I really didn't want to sell it to Deke..."

Dash's brilliant smile returned. "Oh, dear lady, you have made my day." Gallantly, he seized her hand to kiss. "Now, though it pains me to be so trivial, let's make a deal..."

XXX

The scene confronting Sean was, at first glance, much the same as the one his partner in salvage faced. When the chart rack's owner opened the door, behind him could be seen boxes stacked and in the process of being filled, scattered all over the modest home.

"Doctor Ferguson?" Sean asked the harried man who opened the door.

"Yes? Office hours are..."

"Oh, I'm not here on a medical matter, sir," Sean shook his head. "I can see that you are busy, so I will try to not take up too much time, but it is rather important."

"Well, come in. Sorry about the... mess," Bruce Ferguson apologized. "Uh, I'm in the middle of moving to Boston, and trying to pack everything up is a nightmare, but I didn't want to leave it to the movers."

"Of course not. You have some fine pieces here, I see," Sean nodded, spotting the object of his visit. "I hope that your men are insured well — that chart rack there, I'd hate to see it get broken."

Glancing to where Sean pointed, Bruce sighed. "Yeah. That. To be honest, I'm not sure I'll move that. Maybe just leave it and let Doctor Avery deal with it. I know Deke'd give me next to nothing for it. I don't even know why I bought the thing. It struck my fancy, but it's useless! And I don't have room for it in my new place... oh, you don't want to hear my troubles. Sorry. What is it you needed again?"

Smothering both his irritation at the dismissal of the rack as useless, and the grin of relief, Sean cocked his head. "As it happens, I can solve your problem and mine, at the same time."

XXX

As agreed earlier, the two ghosts met back at Claymore's office, much to Mr. Gregg's discomfort, as they popped into his cluttered room with no warning.

"Someone should bell you two!" he fumed as he dabbed furiously at the coffee that had spilled all over his suit when he jumped out of his skin upon their entries.

"I'm not sure him getting a backbone was a good idea," Sean noted calmly.

"Oh, you!" Claymore scowled.

"Did you have any luck?" Dash chuckled.

"Aye. Doctor Ferguson will be happy to sell the chart rack to us — for one-hundred and fifty dollars. He figures it'll save him moving costs. You?"

Dash grinned. "Well, two hundred isn't quite the good deal you got, but Miss Stoddard did need the money to help her move, so, it's all good."

"Do I have to pay for it?" Claymore asked suspiciously. "Is THAT why you're here?"

"No, Clay, old son, you don't have to buy the antiques," Dash sighed. "But — it would be good of you to pay for someone to haul them to Gull Cottage."

"Why should I?"

"Think about how pleased Daniel will be," Sean suggested.

Claymore's face screwed into a knot. "Not good enough. Can't you just—" He waved his arms. "Do a little ghost trick?"

The shipmates exchanged looks. "Well, we could, but then everyone would know for sure that Gull Cottage is haunted. Hate to think what that'd do to the property value," Sean shrugged.

"Of all Clay's places," Dash sagely agreed. "If one is haunted, couldn't they all be?"

"Sure they could," Sean nodded.

"You're trying to scare me," Claymore accused, stabbing a finger at them.

"Yes. Is it working?" Sean asked.

"Claymore, we will leave, once you agree to do what we want," Dash added.

"Oh! Well, okay. I'll get Ed Peavey to do it."

"Excellent! We'll call you with the details. "Waving cheerily, Dash and Sean popped out.

XXX

When Martha heard a noise in the foyer at 3:30 that afternoon, she made a run for it as fast as she could — but Carolyn Muir beat her to the front door by a minute.

"Hi, Mom!" the children said together, reaching to give both her and Martha a hug.

"Hi, you two..." Carolyn embraced them in return, giving her housekeeper a sideways look. What were they thinking? If Dash and Sean had returned, they would have popped into the living room, or alcove, or Captain's cabin... not entered by the front door! The children dashed ahead to the kitchen, where an after-school snack awaited them. Carolyn and the housekeeper followed slowly behind them.

"You know, Mrs. Muir," Martha said quietly, "I'm glad you told me what you, Sean and Dashire have in mind, but the wait is driving me crazy! Do you think they've had any luck?"

"I have no idea, and I'm trying not to get my hopes up," Carolyn murmured back, as they reached the kitchen. "That's why I haven't said anything to the kids yet. Jonathan especially would be very disappointed if they can't find anything — he knew a long time before I did what those pieces meant to Daniel."

As the two women reached the kitchen, the children looked up from where they were seated, grinning. "Guess what, Mom?" Jonathan asked, but before Carolyn could open her mouth, he had continued. "We don't have school next Monday!"

"You're a week ahead of yourself, Jonathan," Martha smiled. "Memorial Day is a week from next Monday."

"No, Martha," Candy interrupted. "We know about that! But we don't have school Monday the twenty-first, either!"

Carolyn and Martha looked at each other. Did they remember what Monday was?

"Uhm, why?" Carolyn asked.

"There's an all-district Leadership Training meeting or something for all the teachers," Candy started to explain. "So no school."

"Except for the teachers!" Jonathan interrupted, and both the children laughed.

"Remind me never to become a teacher," Candy went on. "Anyway, it's a GREAT day to not have school, because..."

"...Because that means we'll be home when Captain Gregg gets back, AND get the day off to celebrate our moving in anniversary!" Jonathan finished. He looked up at his mother. "Can we do something special, Mom? A picnic, maybe?"

Candy rolled her eyes. "Well of COURSE we can, Jonathan! It's our anniversary! Don't you remember last year? I had found out about the Captain, and Martha was visiting her sister, so you and me and Mom and the Captain spent the day at the beach." Jumping up, she gave the housekeeper a hug. "We can do that again this year, if you want, Martha," she said. "We'll even help you pack all the stuff to eat and drink, and this year will be even better because this time you know about the Captain, too, and Uncle Dash, and Sean are here, and they can celebrate with us." The girl put an arm around her mother. "We can do that, can't we, Mom?"

Carolyn nodded. A thought coming to her. _Surely Daniel WILL be home in time to celebrate the family's anniversary!_ She nodded her head. "I think a picnic sounds like a lovely idea, and kids..." she paused, unsure if she should take the plunge and tell the children what else was in the works. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "Kids, pay attention to me for a minute. I have some more news for you."

XXX

Dash and Sean popped into the kitchen at five-thirty, just as the Muirs and Martha had sat down to dinner, their faces glowing. Starting with their initial conversation with her landlord, the two ghosts recounted their search for the antiques, right down to imitating some of Claymore's more comic mannerisms.

The children had giggled themselves silly, and even Martha had laughed out loud at their antics. Carolyn, wiping the tears of laughter streaming from her eyes, said, "Yes, that's Claymore to a 'T' you're right on target — but Lord Dashire, how did you know about the watchamacalit? I mean, the fire screen, and so on?"

Dash smiled a bit ruefully. "Well, one afternoon, Daniel and I were comparing notes, as it were, on relatives and he mentioned it... and if you think I can imitate your landlord, you should see HIM do it!"

"I can see it now," Martha laughed. "Just a little game of my miserable relative is worse than your miserable relative?"

"So-called, in Clay's case, but yes," Dash grinned. In a voice that could have been Claymore if one had closed their eyes, he added: "Ohhhh! P-p-p-lease don't s-s-s-care m-e-e! I'll pass out, and I j-j-just c-c-an't today, it's the first of the m-m-month... I have to c-c-collect the rent!" He chuckled. "Truthfully, I suppose we could have figured out another way to get the items here, but I thought the old boy needed to have some part in bringing Daniel's things home."

They all laughed harder, and after they had recovered again, Candy and Jonathan excused themselves politely, saying that they had homework to finish. Once the two had left, Carolyn looked at the two spirits, her face serious again. "I can't tell you how grateful I am to both of you..." Looking directly at Dash, she added, "I don't know how many stories Daniel has told you about me... us... the last two years, but to tell you the truth, I was a little scared of how much it might cost to get the antiques back, even if you could find them... especially after..." She made a face. "Well, after I found out how much scrimshaw can appreciate in a hundred year's time."

Sean's eyebrows went up. "I don't quite understand, missus."

"I do," Dash nodded. "I'll explain later, Sean. And I was crossing my fingers that inflation wouldn't be a factor either, too, but our timing was good. Our two sellers needed to sell as much as we needed to buy. Serendipity."

Carolyn smiled again. "Anyway, the amounts you've mentioned, I can afford."

"Marvelous," Sean nodded. "If you can write the checks out tonight, Dash and I can drop them off tomorrow — that's really the best plan, since Claymore said Ed would have the items loaded and delivered here by ten tomorrow morning."

"That means I need to make a trip into town, too," Martha commented, rolling her eyes. "I'll need to add cherries to my grocery list. Ed'll be wanting his customary cherry pie for his trouble!"

"Then I'd like to make a request for more of your cinnamon cake, my dear." Dashire gave her a wistful look. "I'll be in on the unloading tomorrow, you know."

The smile on Carolyn's face faded. "Omigosh! Tomorrow! So soon!" Her face went white. "Sean, Dash, I had NO idea you would find the pieces so fast! Now we're back to 'where on earth are we going to put them'?"

"Front porch?" Sean shrugged.

Dash shook his head. "No. Outside isn't a good idea. Climate, you know. It could rain, or something."

"Carrie, my dear, you mentioned the attic, before," Sean said, "What happened to that idea? That's where Daniel keeps his charts, Dash says, and the breakfront WOULD be a lovely place to store and display everything he has collected over the years."

"And I've really wanted to get the attic cleaned up, ever since we moved in here," Martha added. "The breakfront will be perfect for display, and if his papers and all can go in the drawers, it will give us enough room to make some order out of everything else."

"But not throw anything else away," Sean added, quickly.

"Never again," Carolyn blushed. "Without having it in writing, but..." She shook her head. "I don't know. There's only that small stairway leading to the attic, and... Do you think there's room? How can we get the pieces up there? Ed is going to need help just getting the pieces as far as the foyer, and I doubt if he is going to be thrilled about waiting while I push stuff around in the attic to make room... not to mention carrying those heavy pieces up the stairs... I..." She broke off, overcome.

Dash and Sean looked at the Lady of Gull Cottage and grinned.

"What?" She stared back at them. "Did I miss something?"

"Only that once an area is cleared, we don't have to carry anything, Carolyn," Dash chuckled. "When all is ready, Sean and I can 'pop' the items up to Danny's wheelhouse."

Carolyn started giggling. "You can, can't you? Gee, you guys have snuggled in so comfortably here, I almost forget you ARE spirits!"

"I take that as a compliment, dear lady." Sean rose and bowed, and Dash did likewise.

"So we're there?" Martha asked as the two men sat down again. "Delivery tomorrow, put the pieces in the foyer, or the living room, or something, temporarily, and..."

"...and by the end of the day tomorrow, the decks should be cleared enough in the wheelhouse for us to take care of the rest," Dash said briskly.

"Not all of the rest," Carolyn said. She glanced at the calendar on the wall that Candy had made in art class. "We still have a lot to accomplish in a short time," and... She added to herself: _Now I'm not sure what I want more... time enough to complete your surprise, Daniel, or just you... with me... safely home again!_

XXX

Shortly after ten the next morning, right on schedule, Ed's old truck rattled up to Gull Cottage, loaded down with Daniel Gregg's treasures. In the front seat beside Ed, Sean was being treated to his first horseless carriage ride.

Hearing the old vehicle clatter up the road, the Muirs, Martha, and Dashire came out to see. Until the truck stopped and the other men got out, Dash remained standing with the family; his arm draped casually over Martha's shoulders. Sean looked up the walk to yell, "Come on and give us a hand, 'old son,' and earn that chocolate cake."

As Ed glared, Dash removed his arm from Martha to salute Sean. "Of course, sir. Right away."

"Can I help?" Jonathan called from the porch.

"Sure, lad," Sean replied. "Hold the gate open for us... and Candy, be a love and hold Scruffy."

Though somewhat hampered by Mr. Peavey's presence, Sean and Dash still were able to make their loads a touch lighter, even if they did appear to be moving them in a strictly mortal fashion. Once the two heavy items were deposited inside, Ed pulled off his cap, shaking his head. "Want me to hang around and help ya move furniture and stuff, Miz Muir? Not sure why you want this stuff back... sure takes up a lot of room."

"The intrinsic value is greater than the trouble involved," Dashire explained before Carolyn could. "But no need to worry yourself, my good man. O'Casey and I are here, and will remain until the furniture is reshuffled to the satisfaction of both good ladies."

"Hmph. Well..." Ed began.

"We've got it under control," Dashire insisted.

"Do you need anything else done, Martha? Light bulb changed or plumbing?" Ed asked nervously. Something about these two guys struck him as off-kilter.

"Oh, if dear Martha needs anything at all done, we'll see to it," Dash beamed. Impulsively grasping her hand, he declared, "Speak, and it is as good as done. Name a noble task and I will not rest until it is accomplished."

Giggling, Martha shook her head. "I don't need anything, your lordship. But Ed, I do have a cherry pie out in the kitchen for you... and the cake for you two is almost ready to go in the oven... I didn't want it to fall if there was a bang or bump."

"Thank you, kind lady," Sean nodded. Watching Ed follow Martha to the pie, he continued, "Just direct us, Carrie."

"I think you can take a break, for now," she whispered, with a significant glance toward Ed. "I really don't want to explain how the furniture will move so quietly upstairs."

"Right. Come on, Dash. I want to see where we'll pop it in," Sean nodded.

XXX

An interminable time later, Ed left, taking leftover pie with him. Then, it was only minutes before the overbearing antiques were re situated into their new home. Then began the tricky part.

They decided to have lunch before the dusting process began, then, they returned to the attic to tackle the clutter. After a while, Carolyn frowned. Something was missing, but... what? The figurehead was still there, in all her "glory." What...?

Surveying her surroundings, she concluded, with a small shock, that one particular chest was gone. Vanessa's trunk was not there anymore. Maybe it had been moved? But, no, she couldn't see it anywhere. Now was not the time to ponder the meaning behind that... she did not dare hope, did she?

"_Aaaahchoo!"_ Martha's second sneeze broke through Carolyn's ruminations_. "Aaahahaahachooo!"_

Producing a lacy hankie, Dash handed it to her with a slight frown. "My dear lady, while in most cases I would never think to interfere in the running of your realm, you are without parallel the queen of cleanness. I must ask your indulgence, for I cannot bear to see you or Carolyn suffer further. Sean and I can dispose of this pernicious dust in a trifle, if you will allow it. So, I ask you, sweet sovereign, let me cast off this... this..."

"Dirt?" Sean suggested, cutting off his flowery diatribe.

"To be blunt, yes."

Stepping back and sneezing one more time, Martha gave a royal wave, "Have at it."

Moments later, a hazy cloud rose from the furniture, papers, and so on, drifting outside through the open porthole window and strewed itself to the four winds.

"I hope you hang around for spring cleaning," Martha commented wryly.

XXX

Over the next few hours that turned into days, the ghosts and mortals worked together to organize the wheelhouse, all the time exchanging stories. Martha gained fresh insight into incidents that had puzzled her across the almost two years they had lived in Gull Cottage; such as when the seal had taken residence in their bathroom, or the time Mrs. Muir had been in denial about living with a ghost. In turn, Carolyn heard stories that she could fill volumes with about their new friends' years with the Captain. Most of the names they mentioned were only barely familiar, but more than once, Elroy's antics cropped up, proving that Daniel's declarations of the seaman's ineptitude were precise. He even had trouble managing a wake-up call properly.

"After all," Dash scowled in memory. "How hard is it to say 'six bells to arise, Captain?' Did he have to blame it on me? 'Mister Dashire says 'get up'?' Indeed."

Pausing as he adjusted a bit of scrimshaw, Sean quirked his brows. "But, your grace, you did tell him to tell Daniel it was time to get up."

On Tuesday afternoon, the kids received a pleasant surprise when they jostled upstairs to see how things were going. Dash had left the work to Sean's able hands while he dictated a bit of his story to their mother, since he had roused his hapless attorney early one morning to secure permission for her to pen his life story. As they opened the door to the attic carefully, a familiar tune with different words reached their ears.

Suddenly aware that he had an audience, the Irish ghost stopped.

"Wow, you sing better than Tim," Candy admired.

"Yeah, but you got the words wrong," Jonathan felt obliged to add. "_Love Me Tender _goes different..."

Candy held her breath, hoping her tin-eared brother wouldn't sing.

"I think Mr. Presley set his song to an older tune — when I learned it, the song was _Aura Lee,_" Sean instructed patiently. "But the recent song is pleasant, I just — sometimes the older songs are easier to sing, lad."

"It's still pretty," Jonathan shrugged. "And it's cool that you know the song, even if it's not the same."

"Will you sing more?" Candy asked. "You really are good."

"I'll consider it," Sean promised with a smile.

"Groovy," both kids agreed.

XXX

Indeed, life did seem rather "groovy," all of a sudden. Sean and Dashire might have been engaged in "treasure hunting," but Danny already had a real treasure in his family. Yet, there seemed to be a place for the two spirits as well, if one, especially, were willing to let go of his loneliness.

Children waiting for birthdays or Christmas could not have felt as impatient as the occupants of Gull Cottage did over the next few days. At first, they were sure they could never get everything done in time, but then, it was done and all they had to do was wait, making them wish there was one more thing to do. As a consequence, Daniel's fragments of memories were readjusted, dusted, straightened and moved about a dozen times between Friday and Sunday evening. In the evenings, Dashire and Sean had more stories to relate, making television rather passé,' and Sean's talent as a singer was put to good use.

Sunday was spent on pins and needles, wondering if maybe, just maybe, Daniel Gregg would come home earlier than hoped. At every sound, they looked up, only to be disappointed. Martha joked that it reminded her of the surprise 'death-day' party they had inadvertently thrown him.

XXX

Carolyn woke early on September twenty-first. Slowly opening her eyes, she became aware of the feeling of eyes upon her.

"It is about time you woke, Sleeping Beauty," a dear voice rumbled. Sitting up rapidly, she looked all around, and then Daniel appeared beside the bed.

"You're home," she beamed, stating the obvious, but lacking words to contain how overjoyed she was to see him. Any doubts she had evaporated looking into his face, seeing the happiness that mirrored her own.

Carolyn reached for her bathrobe at the end of the bed, slipping it on before swinging her legs over the side and standing up. Looking down at the floor, suddenly shy, she tied the cord carefully before gazing up at him again.

"I don't think you have any idea how much I… we have looked forward to today," she said simply. "We've missed you."

Leaning toward her carefully, almost, questioningly, he reached out and stroked her cheek, his hand trailing down to the base of her neck and the hollow of her throat. Cupping his hand, he gently tipped her chin up, and gazed into her green eyes — still dewy with sleep. No. Brimming with unshed tears.

"Did you think I wouldn't?" he asked softly, now cupping her face in both his hands. "I had to return. You are here."

"I … I didn't know what to think, Daniel," she blushed, reveling at his soft touch. "I knew you would, believed you would, told the children you would, and Dash SAID you would, but…"

"But I've never been gone so long from here… you, before," he interrupted softly, and she nodded.

"Never," she swallowed slowly.

Bending his head, his lips hovered only inches from hers. "Carolyn, I swear I will never be gone so long from you again."

"I'm glad," she whispered.

"Now…" he said huskily, as one hand dropped to her waist and he drew her toward him. "Do you think you can welcome your returning seaman properly?" and as she nodded, his lips settled firmly on hers. Bringing his arms up to her shoulders, he drew her still closer, and with a small sigh, she relaxed into him.

Neither one saw Sean appear at the bedroom door. He'd been waiting impatiently for it to be early enough to begin the day for the humans; truly, there were times he wondered if ghosts could learn to sleep — to kill time if nothing else. Sensing a spirit in the Master Cabin, he figured Dash had decided it was time to get up, and decided to see if that was so. The possibility of ribbing him about that after the Elroy story had appeal.

It was, of course, not his lordship, but his Captain in the room ahead of him. Seeing the two of them, and how they had eyes only for each other, Sean vanished before they could detect him. Back in the attic, he sighed deeply. It really was true then. Daniel had found his soul-mate. A part of him felt a stab of loss, remembering Molly, but the greater part of him took joy in what he'd witnessed. There was a 'rightness' about the two of them. He'd never seen that look on his oldest friend's face before, in life or death. For that, Sean owed Carrie a debt of thanks.

"Woman, you will undo me in a moment!" Daniel's voice rasped, his lips moving down her neck and then to her ear. "I cannot tell you how glad I am to be home," he whispered.

Carolyn giggled. "Hey, your beard tickles!" Odd, what a difference two weeks could make. _That had never_ _happened before, had it?_ "I should get dressed," she murmured, pulling away from him, regretfully, but not before reaching up to kiss him again. _Homecomings were wonderful things!_

The Captain sighed, his arms falling back down to her waist. "I suppose so, though truthfully, I could spend an eternity being welcomed home by you." She blushed again, still reveling at being held in his arms.

"And I could spend an eternity doing the same. Give me ten minutes?" she asked. "Come back then, and we can go downstairs together."

Daniel nodded. "Ten minutes, my darling, but please don't make me wait too long. We have too much to catch up on."

Carolyn nodded, and as he started to dematerialize, she blew him another kiss.

XXX

Reappearing in the master cabin exactly ten minutes later, Daniel took his lady's arm and led her downstairs to the kitchen where the children and Martha were starting their day.

"Look who's home," Carolyn called, getting their attention.

All three turned toward them, their faces lighting up instantly. Flying across the room for hugs, Jonathan yelled, "Captain!" and Candy cried out, "Captain Dad!" Over their heads, Daniel looked at Carolyn in slight askance, but her grin provided no answers. Yet, he did not really need any specific ones. Over the last two years, he'd grown to see the children as his own. Candy had simply closed the circle, putting into words that they felt that way too. Even through Scruffy's frantic barking, he could hear them exclaiming how glad they were to see him back.

Though she hung back a bit, Martha was beaming as well. "I'm glad to have you back, too, Captain. I just don't get as noisy about it."

Quirking a brow, he grinned back, "Oh? Really, Martha? Glad to have the 'ogre' back underfoot?"

Blushing, she gruffly clarified, "Well, you do make my family here happy. I never have seen such blue faces as those they had with you out of pocket. Downright depressing."

"Oh? You didn't miss the old barnacle at all on your own behalf?" he baited her.

"Maybe, a little, yes," she allowed, then added sternly. "I'll admit it ONCE, that's all you're getting. I — I'm coming to see that ghosts can be rather charming." Her eyes looked over his shoulder as she spoke.

"Now then, are you talking about me, or Dashire?" Daniel asked, frowning as he looked around. "Where IS Dash?"

"Not just him," she smirked.

At the same time, Dashire cleared his throat, "Right behind you, old man."

"And not just him, alone," Sean chimed in.

Whirling, Daniel grinned. "Sean! How long have you been here?"

"Since a day or two after you left, but I waited for ye. Catching up with Dash here, and yer family's kept me busy."

"Among other things," Martha said under her breath.

"Sounds like you've had quite an interesting life, lately," Sean nodded. "And 'tis some fine family you have to be sure."

With a rueful look, Dash put in; "I'd say that's saying the least. Ah, Danny, did that business work out to your — satisfaction?"

"Beyond expectations."

Profound relief flicked across his lordship's face. "Excellent."

Carolyn shot them both a puzzled look, but shrugged. One of her uncles had been a Shriner, and that had taught her not to ask men about their 'stuff.'

"You will stay and let me enjoy catching up with you, too, I hope?" Daniel continued, turning to Sean.

"At least today," he smiled.

"More than that, we hope," Martha said.

"We'll see," was all Sean would give in to.

Accepting that, she took over, instructing them all to sit — breakfast was ready. Hoping the Captain might be there, she'd made the blueberry pancakes she knew he liked so well. Jonathan suggested making the blueberries look like smiles, but the best she could do on that was to say, "They are smiles, if you take a modern art perspective."

"I don't intend to let them stay on the plate long enough to care if they are smiling, frowning, or yawning," Dash declared.

"Captain Dad," Candy said, bouncing a bit, "Do you know what today IS?"

"Yeah, do ya?" Jonathan repeated.

Looking thoughtful, Daniel pondered. "I haven't kept track of the days of the week well, where I was, but I do believe it's Monday. And rather late for you two to be here on a school day, unless I'm a week late."

"It's our anniversary!" the two kids virtually yelled in unison, making Martha wince.

"And we have the day off, so all the teachers can go to school," Jonathan announced.

"Hmmm?"

"To learn to be leaders," Candy added. "And, my paper about you got an 'A.' and won a prize! Uncle Dash and Uncle Sean helped me. They had a lot of good stories."

Neither child noticed the startled, yet pleased looks the two ghosts gave each other over their 'promotions.'

"And they helped me make a volleyball net, so we can play with it on the beach, later. Mom said we can have a picnic on the beach to celebrate," Jonathan said. "You DO want to go on a picnic with us, don't you, Captain? The weatherman said it's supposed to be real warm, all day today."

"Of course I do..." Leaning over from his seat, he enveloped both children in a bear hug, and as he sat back in his seat, he turned and kissed a startled Carolyn sitting next to him, not really caring if his friends and Martha saw him do it. "I think a picnic on the beach is a marvelous idea."

"Like last year," Candy nodded. "Only this time, Martha and everyone can come!"

He smiled, and regarded their glowing faces. It was, indeed, good to be home again.

XXX

Breakfast was a leisurely affair, but through it all, everyone could feel the undercurrent of anticipation. Finally, after a third cup of coffee, the Captain's eye glanced over the whole blooming bunch... especially his two former shipmates.

"You two look..." He looked around the table. "You ALL look like the cat who swallowed the canary... I know you're happy we're back together again, but... what's up?"

"Well," Carolyn started. "We have a special surprise for you, in honor of our anniversary..."

"A surprise?" The seaman looked startled, then pleased. "Well I thank you all, but the greatest gift I could have in honor of the day is already coming... our picnic. Our day together." He gave Carolyn's hand a squeeze. "Nothing could be better, today of all days, than that."

Sean shook his head. "I dinna think you should be saying that, Danny Boy..." he smiled. "There's been way too much planning and plotting for ye to just say 'not necessary.' Besides, I'm sure you will agree that this... gift is long overdue."

"Very." Carolyn nodded, and she brought her hand up to his face and stroked his cheek. "I'd say about one-and-  
a-half years overdue. Daniel, please, come with us?"

"I never could resist you long in anything," Daniel said as he rose from his chair. "Where you lead, my dear Carolyn, I will follow."

"Wish I could get Ed to talk like The Captain and Dash do, if it was only half the time!" Martha said to herself, but Candy overheard her, and nodded.

"Right, Martha!" she agreed. "The man I marry will have to have a neat voice like Captain Dad, and talk a little like him... that's for sure!"

"We should blindfold Captain Gregg," Jonathan said, as the made their way to the foyer.

"Why?" Carolyn asked.

"'Cause we can't wrap his present," the boy went on, maybe a bit impatiently. "And if we can't WRAP it, he can't open it, so if he has a blindfold on, and then he takes it off, it's sort of like unwrapping a present, see?"

"The boy had a point," Sean agreed.

"I rather like the plan," Dash smiled. Deftly, he removed a large silk handkerchief from his pocket. "Will this do?" He gave the kerchief to Carolyn. "Milady..."

Carolyn smiled back at him as she took the object, beginning to form a silken tube. "I think it might be better to wait until we get upstairs. No sense blindfolding and then making him walk the stairs."

"Don't I get a say in this at all?" Daniel grinned, loving the attention.

"None whatsoever, just smile and go along with it." Martha offered. "You'll like it better that way."

With Daniel holding Carolyn's hand fast in his, they all ascended the stairs the mortal way and made their way down the hall of the second landing, finally coming to the stairway leading to the attic.

"NOW we blindfold you," said Candy, firmly. "Mom, can I do it? I can tie a knot too, you know." Carolyn handed her the silken cloth, and the Captain leaned over slightly, allowing the girl to place the cloth over his eyes and tie it at the back of his head. "Tell me if I get it too tight, Captain." The spirit did not protest, and in a few moments, they stood at the wheelhouse door itself, breathing a sigh that they had made it this far without anything going wrong. Carolyn opened the door and led her Captain inside. Once they were all there, upon a signal from Carolyn, they all shouted, "Happy Anniversary, Captain!" and with a flick of his wrist, Sean undid the knot holding Daniel's blindfold in place.

Flabbergasted, his eyes wandered around the room. "Oh, my..." he started. "How clean and orderly everything looks! I..." Then his eyes focused on the chart rack.

"Dare I hope...?" His voice was hushed, and full of emotion. "Carolyn, is that...?"

"It's yours, Daniel," she said softly, her voice almost as quiet as his had been.

"I... I don't... MINE? Really?"

"Really, Captain!" Jonathan gave him a wide grin. "Now look over here!" He pointed to the breakfront.

"Aunt Violet's..." He stopped again, overcome. "Is that really what I think it is?"

"Really. Daniel." She nodded happily. "We... that is, Dash, Sean and I found your furniture and brought it home to you."

"The breakfront... My chart rack... How did you... where did you... who had my..." He was squeezing Carolyn's hand so hard it almost hurt. "Oh, my dear ones, what have you done?"

Carolyn smiled and gave him a happy look. "Just putting right what I did wrong," she said. "I trust it meets with your approval? You are... happy, aren't you, Daniel?"

Slowly, the seaman reached out and stroked the curved wood of the chart rack. "Happy doesn't BEGIN to describe what I am feeling at this moment," he answered. "They were special before, but now, they are twice over so."

"Come see, Captain," said Candy, grabbing his hand from where it rested on the rack. "I helped decide what got put inside the cabinet — for display, I mean. Do you like what we did?"

Finally letting go of his love's hand, the mariner gazed at the pieces in the cabinet, his sextant, his mermaid statue, assorted shells, a Chinese puzzle box, a lacy fan, every item, no matter how oddball, a treasured memory. Shaking his head in disbelieving wonder, Daniel said, "I'd forgotten I had all of this."

"I wonder why?" Martha noted, with a trace of sarcasm. "Don't tell me you collected all of this in ONE lifetime?"

"Aye," Sean grinned. "As Dash mentioned before, our beloved leader was and is, rather a packrat." With a wink to Martha, he continued, "I think, sir, you'll see that I put them in order you liked things in, back on the ship, and arranged them that way. Your papers are in those drawers. I did my best to recall how you liked things to be."

Pointing, Dash added, "And your newer charts are in order in the rack."

"You two really DID keep busy," Daniel complimented.

"We all did," Jonathan corrected.

"How did you manage to find them again?" Daniel marveled, running an appreciative hand over his gifts.

"That's our secret," Carolyn beamed. "But we couldn't have done it without the charm and talent of your two shipmates."

The two men grinned. "It was your idea," Dash demurred.

"Cut the mutual appreciation society, we're a good team, period," Martha blustered.

"That we are," Sean nodded.

"Yes, I can hardly wait to work on my charts now that I have this splendid work area," Daniel admired. "I believe I'll —"

"Oh no, you don't!" Carolyn cut him off. "We have a lovely day waiting for us and a beach picnic planned. The charts will wait. We're going to enjoy today in the sunshine."

"I know when I'm outranked," Daniel acknowledged, and allowed himself to be led downstairs again after one lingering glance over his 'sanctuary.' _I'll have to think of a new name for it,_ he thought. _I really don't need a place in which to seek refuge from humans, any longer._

XXX

Some days are meant to be stored in the recesses of your mind and remembered forever, and the afternoon and evening that followed was one of them. No day, if it could have been especially written or filmed for the occasion, could have been better. Martha packed a fabulous lunch, and had remembered to include everyone's favorites... Fried chicken for Carolyn, German potato salad for Jonathan, apple-raisin salad for Candy, boiled shrimp for the Captain, Aunt Belle's cinnamon cake for Dash, and her special homemade pickles for Sean. During the two ghosts' two-week visit, Martha had gone out of her way demonstrating her culinary skills... as her way of thanking them for finding the Captain's antiques, and Sean and Dash very much appreciated her extra attentions.

Bringing along the poles, the three spirits and Jonathan set up the volleyball net first, Daniel praising the lad for his fine job. The net was an intricate pattern of knots, far beyond the design in a store-bought net, and Dash and Sean both privately told Daniel that Jonathan certainly had them beat in knot-lore.

"Well, Danny," Sean had shrugged. "Knots... not exactly something a ghost needs every day!"

"Unless you need to teach them to someone as bright as Jonathan!" the seaman had grinned back.

"He is, that," Sean agreed. "All we heard while you were gone and we were making the net is 'the Captain says this... the Captain says that!' Knots, fishing, models, sailing... you've taught the boy a great deal for only two years... and him being so young."

"Cabin boys were younger," Daniel objected. "And they learned."

"Not so quickly, though," Dash maintained stubbornly.

"Ah, but Danny wasn't able to teach them on such a consistent basis," Sean grinned. "He did have the rest of the ship to run."

"Hey, Captain!" Candy ran up to them. "Mom says we're all going down the beach and look for tide pools and starfish and other stuff... are you ready?"

"I thought we were playing volleyball?"

"We ARE," Jonathan maintained, coming up behind his sister. "And look for caves, too, but we have all day... Come ON!"

XXX

During the long afternoon, the family did those things and more, including a sand castle building contest, Daniel and Candy being declared winners, bird watching, Scruffy barking at everything in sight, racing, looking for seashells and sand dollars and for a change there was time enough to do everything. After eating the delicious lunch, the children wanted to jump in the water again, but Carolyn, remembering the rules, insisted they stay beach-bound for at least forty minutes and suggested playing the postponed volleyball game, instead. The children agreed, excited to have enough people to really play. When the game was over, Dash and Jonathan and Sean pulled out a narrow victory over Carolyn, Daniel and Candy. During the volleyball game, Carolyn had noticed that her children's noses were turning a bit red and she bade her children to come to her while she applied more suntan lotion. She glanced at Sean. Rather than turning red or brown, he was actually looking a bit pale. The Irishman said nothing though, and manfully pulled his team to victory. When it was over, he dropped to the blanket, maintaining gently that he needed to 'rest.'

"Oh, but we were going to play football next!" Jonathan protested.

"We're nowhere ready to go home yet, lad," the Captain said gently, laying a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Of course not," said Dashire, coming up behind him. "Sean's just not used to keeping up with you two." He grinned at Candy, who had joined them to see what the delay was. "Martha, my dove," he added, extending his hand to the housekeeper who was seated on a blanket under a beach umbrella, "What do you say you and I take the children and do a little beach-combing?"

Martha smiled and looked at Carolyn who was now sneaking a sideways glance at her Captain. "I think that sounds like a great idea, Dash."

"You coming with us, Mom?" Candy asked, looking at her mother, who was now holding the Captain's hand.

"Daniel..." Dash said, interrupting smoothly. "I thought I noticed a slight error on those beach charts of yours." He pointed in the opposite direction of the way Jonathan was pointing. "Why don't you and Carolyn go check out that area, and the kids and Martha and I will go this way? I think there's more 'stuff' down that way." He gave his former commander a wink.

"I think that sounds like a marvelous idea," Daniel winked back, taking Carolyn's arm. "Thanks, Dash."

XXX

Some walks take longer than others, and Carolyn and Daniel had not returned when Dash had returned with Martha, Candy Jonathan and Scruffy forty-five minutes later.

Sean opened his eyes. "Back so soon?"

"You're still asleep?" Jonathan looked unbelieving. "I thought you guys don't get tired."

"Not in the way you do, lad, no, but I do need to recharge a bit at times. That is, if you want me to last the rest of the evening!" Sean smiled, but his eyes were still tired.

"'Course not!" Candy agreed at once. "We need to keep you... healthy?" She looked doubtful, wondering if that was the right word for a ghost.

"Exactly so," Martha agreed. "Candy, Jonathan, if you two still want to build a fire and roast marshmallows, you'll need to find some driftwood. Why don't you come and help me do that?" She looked, concernedly, at the two ghosts. "You two need to rest a mite. Sean, you still look pale. Dashire, you will be if you don't stop. We'll go get what we need to build a fire. You two... go... be ghosts for a while. Dematerialize, or whatever. Come along, children."

As the three humans started up the beach, Dash turned to his friend. "Sean, old son, are you all right?"

"Of course I am. I haven't had lessons in being — whatever you call it that you and Danny are."

"And?" Dash probed.

"I'd forgotten what a stubborn one you can be. Very well." He sighed before continuing. "I don't know... it feels odd...for the last hundred years, give or take, the three of us have been adrift... no apron strings... and Danny the only one that didn't even want them... It seems, odd, 'old son'."

"Well, there was Vanessa." Dash recalled.

"Pfft. That'd never have worked, and you know it."

"Indeed I do. I've told Danny so, and besides..."

"I know. Fluff is a nice way to describe her, all things considered. As I was saying, he never wanted any, and here, you and I both missing the love of our lives, or after lives. Now, you and I are still wishing for our ladies and he's found one, a live one at that..."

"Well, he IS the Captain. Perhaps he's simply leading the way for all of us?" Dash shrugged elegantly.

"Nay. Perhaps for ye, but no one will ever replace Molly."

"Can't blame me for being hopeful, can you? Just look at Daniel and his lady." The nobleman pointed in their general direction. "They are right together. Maybe he never wanted apron strings because hers weren't available yet. Even missing Aislynn, I can't wish him anything but joy."

"Nor can I. She seems a kind soul. And she's made my best friend happy... so, she's family now, whether she wants it or not."

Looking first down the beach to where the driftwood-collecting party wandered, then back toward where the Captain and his lady were coming into view, Dash mused, "Judging by all the evidence, I'd say that the family has a place for both of us, if we'll take it."

Sean nodded, but did not commit himself. Daniel and Carolyn walked over to them as Dash's words faded.

"You two okay?" Carolyn asked, causing Sean's brow to quirk.

"Aye, though I don't think I ever, even when my health was susceptible to not being okay, had so much concern expressed for it." Jerking his head at Dash, he added, "I'm just not as able to go without recharging as some of us."

Carolyn glanced at Daniel, but he indicated no need for similar refreshing.

"And I, dear lady, merely wished to keep my old friend company while he recharged. Martha and the children are gathering wood for a marshmallow roast, I believe."

Sensing an unspoken cue, Carolyn smiled. "Well, you three haven't had any time alone since Daniel came home. Why don't I go help them?"

Shaking off the polite, obligatory protests, she went off to do just that, leaving Dash to pick up his prior thought. "I was just telling O'Casey that it seems like he and I might be welcome here."

"Of course! I wish we'd not needed such extreme events to prompt the crew's reunion, well, at least this portion of the crew's reunion," Daniel heartily avowed, tugging his ear. "I'd not want ALL of our former comrades here. But you two are always welcome. I can tell my family's grown very fond of you both."

"I can't stay around all the time, Danny," Dash shook his head. "My blasted family," he snorted, "would have my house turned into the saint's-only-know what. The new lawyer is good, I can tell already, but he needs me around to inspire proper fear, from time to time anyway."

"Sean?" Daniel asked. "Will you stay around, then? Help me keep watch?"

"I donna want to be an extra wheel, Danny," he dissented. "And what about Molly? I just have a feeling..."

"Sean, you've searched a hundred years..." Daniel said, helplessly.

"I know if she is there, she's looking for me, Captain," his friend said with matchless conviction. "If she..." he nodded toward Carolyn, "...were lost... wouldn't you look for her?"

"Yes, and I am sure that Molly is looking for you — which is why you should stay here. She would remember your home is here — and the two of you are likely just missing each other, passing in the night like ships," Daniel insisted. "Wouldn't it be terrible if she came here and you were out looking for her a hundred leagues away?"

"He has a point," Dash affirmed. "And, you could learn from Danny here, how to be more corporeal."

Conflict contorted the spirit's face, then, he nodded only a bit sadly. "Aye. The way Molly got lost, she's bound to be somewhere, heading here, I should be here, when she arrives, not out trying to find her. I'm not giving up, and I'll keep looking, but I'll try this way. My method hasna worked so far."

"And I expect you to keep a close eye on Martha and the children for me, when I'm not here," Dash instructed severely. "His eyes will only be seeing one thing, so someone has to watch the rest of them."

XXX

Twilight fell, the stars came out, and Daniel, Sean, and Dash built a bonfire on the beach. Not only did Martha pull the promised marshmallows out to toast, but the makings for S'Mores as well — graham crackers, and chocolate, which earned her cries of delight and hugs from the children. Songs followed, Sean and Daniel taking the lead, and as they sang one after another, Carolyn leaned back into her Captain's arms, more at rest than she had been for months.

As Sean finished the last line of _Tu a lura lura,_ he looked down. Candy was asleep, her head in his lap, her hand curled up in his. He smiled. "Now this makes my century," he whispered softly. "Never has a child fallen asleep on me before!"

"You can take it as a compliment," Dash murmured, and nodded to Jonathan, asleep at his side. "It means they love you and trust you, my dear fellow."

"I suppose it's about time to head back," Daniel said, more than a bit regretfully. "These two should be in their beds. Sean, if you can carry Candy, I'll take Jonathan and..."

"No, Daniel," Dash interrupted him. "The night is still young — for some things. Sean, you take the lass, I'll carry Jonathan. Martha, love," he helped the housekeeper to her feet before gathering the sleeping boy in his arms. "Can you manage the picnic basket and volleyball? Danny, you can bring the blanket when you come." He glanced toward the house in the distance. "We'll have them home in a jiff. You two can follow... later."

"Sounds great to me," Martha yawned. "I'm a bit sleepy myself."

"You're sure you don't mind?" Carolyn asked, giving her children each a soft kiss, trying not to sound too happy about having just a little bit more uninterrupted alone time with her Captain.

"Nonsense," Sean grinned. "All part of the service. Now you just take all the time you need, and don't worry about a thing." Before the couple could voice any other polite protests, the three were off with their various burdens, Scruffy trotting along behind them.

Carolyn turned to the man in front of her. "I feel like I'm in a fairy tale, Daniel," she whispered. "I'm almost afraid for the day to end, for fear the enchantment will break. Everything has been perfect."

The spirit smiled. "I promise you. I am not Cinderella, Carolyn. The spell will not come undone at midnight."

"First _Sleeping Beauty, _now _Cinderella," _she grinned, looking up into his beautiful eyes. "You're in a mode."

"I'm more than happy to live in a fairy tale, as long as I can be your Prince," he said simply, and leaned down toward her, his lips meeting hers. Uttering a slight moan, she responded in kind as the kiss grew more intense, a kiss of passion and power. Gently, his mouth traveled down her throat and circled around to her ear. "Oh, Carolyn," he breathed, "How I did miss you!"

"Oh, and I you, my love," she murmured, and for a moment, there were only the two of them in the world. "Daniel. Are you all right?" She asked, her head clearing a bit.

"I haven't felt this 'all right' in years," he chuckled. "Don't I feel all right?"

"More than all right," she sighed, kissing him again.

"I feel wonderful, darling," he continued. "I've never felt better."

Carolyn smiled at the overpowering 'rightness' of the moment, then stepped back and looked up at him. "Well, I'm glad of that, my love, but, I guess I'm..."

"What is it, my dear?"

"I... well, it's just that you have been corporeal a lot to day... maybe ALL day. I don't think I've have seen you recharge or anything, unless you did when you were talking with Sean and Dash... not nearly long enough to do that. You're going to need to leave soon."

"No, I won't," he smiled again.

"You won't? Why not?" Her voice was puzzled.

Suddenly the seaman looked sheepish. "Carolyn, I didn't want to tell you until I was sure, but..." He stopped speaking for a moment, but seeing her worried face, he continued quickly. "Carolyn, the reason I left. It was spectral business, just as I said, but not the fraternity's business. My business. Mine and yours."

"Mine?" Her eyebrows rose. "I don't understand."

"Carolyn," he blurted out, "I've been at school... in a manner of speaking, learning..."

"Learning, Daniel? Learning what?"

"Uhm... how to be more corporeal... for longer... so we can be..." He looked almost shy. "...Together more, that is, if the idea pleases you."

"Really?" Gently she took her index finger, and starting at the hairline at the center of his brow, she traced his profile — over his perfect roman nose, his lips, and chin, down into the hollow of his throat. "Longer... what a lovely thought!" Moving her finger away she slid her small hands into his large ones. "Daniel," she said, her voice serious, "I... couldn't you have learned how to do that at Gull Cottage?"

"Can you write in the middle of the living room?" he grinned.

"No..."

"Love," he went on gently, "some things require more concentration than others. I had to go about it uninterrupted, Carolyn. I... I never could concentrate with you within a hundred feet of me. Can you see that?"

Pulling him close to her she placed her hands around his neck, and she played with the soft curls there for a moment. Reaching up on tiptoes, she kissed him soundly.

"Does this mean you forgive me my little fib?" the mariner smiled, looking down at her. "It WAS spectral in nature, and it's for you... your anniversary present. Yours and the children's."

"Yes," she sighed happily, kissing him again, then stepped back to face him. "It was a wonderful, terrible two weeks, but considering... well... everything, it was worth it. Of course. I forgive you. You did it for us. Besides, she added with a smile, If you had been here, we never could have surprised you, either."

"Quite true," he nodded. "So with that in mind, my dear Carolyn, I'd like to ask you something else..."

"What? Daniel, today... tonight... you... I have everything."

Reaching into the pocket of his jacket, Daniel pulled out Candy's transistor radio and flipped the dial to the 'on' position. Waltz music came pouring out. Putting it down in the sand, her turned back to face her. Slowly, he reached for her hand and drew her to him.

"Dance with me, milady?" Daniel asked, his voice gruff with emotion. Carolyn nodded, and as they started to move together, the world slipped away. For that moment in time, they were alone in the universe once more. And if you had asked, neither would be able to tell you the music they danced to. It was only the two of them, a waltz under the stars, and the kiss that followed. They were together, and that was all that mattered.

XXX

_As the story ended, the listeners became aware of the present once more._

"_So, that's how we remember Sean's homecoming. It was memorable for many reasons," Carolyn smiled._

"_Of course, I still left, from time to time," the Irishman added with a warm look to his wife. "I may tease ye about getting lost, love, but until I found you, I was totally lost. I did know I'd found a family though. Now that you're back, I really am home, my heart's back with me."_

"_Aye," she smiled sweetly. "Tis true for me, also."_

"_And I must say, our third waltz was the first of many perfect ones," Carolyn smiled up at Daniel, with a light akin to the one in Molly's eyes. "The first was lovely, the second..."_

"_Somewhat lacking," Claymore sighed. "I know. But that wasn't my fault. I told you I couldn't dance."_

"_But I did appreciate it," Daniel nodded, struck by a benevolent mood._

"_And I was going to say delightful," she concluded. "The third was..."_

"_Something I don't understand, my dear lady," Daniel protested. "I do recall the one that required Claymore's assistance, and the one you are calling the third, but I confess, the first escapes me."_

"_That's all right," Carolyn smiled. "It's one only I remember."_

"_And you've never explained it," he prodded._

"_I may never, either."_

"_Well, if you aren't, I guess that ends our filling in the gaps," Dash commented._

"_So, we'll just have to make new memories to create more stories," Adam rebutted, struck by an unusually poetic moment._

"_And do you have any plans for making memories?" Tristan asked._

"_No. If my world is going to be turned upside down, I'll leave it to fate. Otherwise, I'm just me, and will remain so."_

"_We like you that way," Martha assured him._

"_But," Dave grinned, "having one's world turned isn't a bad thing."_

_Sighing profoundly, Blackie injected, "Fate, destiny... everything happens for a reason. There is a plan. I keep telling you all. This proves it. Sean showed up at precisely the right moment to help with Daniel's surprise and find his home base so he'd be in the right spot to meet Molly again. It's an ideal sermon, but if I preach it, Adam will make me into a new basement ornament."_

"_Oh, I might go easy on you. I'll just tell everyone you're nuts," Adam commented, taking a last swallow of his Madeira._

"_That's plausible," Thom agreed. _

"_Well, since your prediction proved true for Sean, what of you, your lordship?" Molly asked._

_Several eyes turned to watch him closely._

"_But — everyone keeps snatching the most delightful ladies away from me first... of course, they are ideal couples, but really, with examples like you and Sean, Carolyn and Daniel... and so on, how could I ever hope to find something so sublime. I could not accept less."_

"_On behalf of all unspoken for women, gee, thanks," Lynne returned, a bit snippily._

"_There are those women, of course, I am not worthy of," he covered hastily._

"_Amen," Ed muttered._

"_Well, if you're all-knowing, what about a stock tip or two?" Claymore asked. "Put the predicting to practical use."_

"_Buy low, sell high," Dash answered without missing a beat. "And always have a plan B, or even C."_

"_Ha, ha, ha. Funny. I mean a prediction. A practical one."_

"_Fine. I predict that if you don't be quiet and refrain from being an idiot, I'll put you in the stocks."_

_With a sulky expression, Clay shut up._

"_What I want to know..." Thom said, "... is how we ordinary men can live up to..." he gestured at Daniel and Sean. "...them?"_

"_Whoever said you had to?" Candy asked._

"_It's impossible, don't try," Claymore blurted. "Sorry, shutting up now."_

"_Actually, that was very astute," Daniel remarked. _

Given time, lots of things change... But some moments are constant.


End file.
